A paralegal with the Chatham-Kent Legal Clinic says more social and affordable housing is an integral part of the equation to combat homelessness and substance abuse in our community.
Jeff Wilkins was among the speakers at the “Community Conservation” put on by the Chatham-Kent Prosperity Roundtable at the Capitol Theatre on Monday afternoon.
“I think that housing is probably the cornerstone for getting people back on their feet. It’s their safe haven – you at least have a place to go at the end of the day where you can forget about the world’s worries and have a place. If you’re going to a shelter or a place with beds or something like that, really there’s no home there. And you don’t know if you’re going to be there the next day,” says Wilkins.
Wilkins says the provincial government should put money into the issue of housing.
Meantime, the program manager for employment and social services should part of the issue is a lack of inventory for social housing. Chantal Perry says the vacancy rate in Chatham-Kent has dropped from 7% in 2010 to 2.7% today.
