FAQs
Why is the YWCA Cambridge shelter needed at this time?
Chronic homelessness (homelessness lasting for more than six months) has risen by 129 percent since 2020, with more than 550 people currently experiencing chronic homelessness in our community. If the current pace of growth continues, this number will triple by 2028.
What services will be provided at this location?
The service and supports offered will be determined in the coming months by the needs of the population.
What is the current state of homelessness in Waterloo Region?
In September 2023, we estimated that chronic homelessness (homelessness that lasts for more than six months) has been increasing at a rate of 28 per cent year-over-year since 2020. If growth continues at this rate, it will triple by 2028.
As of February 2024, we estimate that 558 individuals are experiencing chronic homelessness in Waterloo Region.
What is the Point in Time count and when will the next count be conducted?
The Point in Time count is a nationally coordinated count of people experiencing homelessness and is intended to identify how many individuals and families in a community experience homelessness at any given time, including in shelters, transitional housing and on the streets.
We will conduct the next Point in Time (PiT) count in fall 2024. The process will count all people experiencing homelessness on a particular night, including those in shelter, people in encampments, and people experiencing hidden homelessness (people who live temporarily with friends, family or strangers or in temporary accommodations with no long-term housing security).
What will you do to keep the neighbourhood safe?
After operations begin, shelter security staff patrol and respond to any conflict at the shelter. Staff reach out for the support of Waterloo Region Police Services, as needed.
What are the causes of homelessness?
Homelessness is not a single-issue problem.
Homelessness is an equity and health issue. Homelessness is not the result of people’s choices or failings. It is the result of systemic and policy failures. People experience loss, trauma and displacement as the result.
Homelessness is usually the result of a number of factors, rather than a single cause. It’s important to understand the complexities to create holistic solutions.
Poverty
The effects of poverty are devastating. Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program do not provide a basic living income. With the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment currently $1,658 in Waterloo Region, someone receiving $700 a month cannot make ends meet. Household income needs to be more than $75,000 per year to afford the rental market.
Traumatic life events
Job loss, a house fire, or the end of a relationship can result in the loss of stable housing. Family violence and abuse also create situations where individuals have no choice but to leave.
Mental health
In the mid-1960s, governments began to dismantle the mental health system, closing psychiatric hospitals. The idea was that with the introduction of new medications, people could live on their own in the community. But, without a network of community-based supports, many people have suffered and are part of the numbers today who experience long-term homelessness.
Racism
Systemic racism runs throughout our society. The legacies of colonialism have given rise to our current systems that discriminate. According to Statistics Canada, Indigenous households are almost three times as likely to have experienced homelessness when compared with the total population.
Addictions
Addictions are also a contributing factor, though they may arise because of the stress and insecurity that individuals experience when they do not have a home.
On top of these factors, many individuals face additional marginalization if they identify with one or more of the following: 2SLGBTQIA+; Indigenous individuals including First Nations, Métis and Inuit; those living in rural areas; those with disabilities, including physical and neurocognitive disabilities; racialized communities; refugees and asylum seekers; seniors; veterans; women and youth.
Understanding that there are distinct challenges for people with different identities will help improve people-focused solutions to ending experiences of homelessness.
Who can I contact if I have questions?
If you would like to speak to a member of the Region of Waterloo Housing team, please call 519-575-4400, ext. 5008 or email interimhousingsolutions@regionofwaterloo.ca
If you would like to speak to YWCA staff regarding the shelter, please email shelter@ywcacambridge.ca