Community Safety And Well-Being For Huron To Launch Social Media Campaign Bringing Awareness To Housing Stability And Homelessness

by Bob Montgomery

A new social media campaign has being launched in Huron County to bring awareness and educate the community about Housing Stability & Homelessness.

This campaign is part of the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) for Huron Plan that was established by the lower-tier municipalities in 2021. Stacy Jeffrey is the Community Relations Manager with the Municipality of South Huron, as well as the Co-Chair of the Municipal Working Group for the Community Safety And Well-Being for Huron. She says their committee includes representatives from all over the county to help them with messaging of the campaign as well as the supports and programs that they would like to support during the campaign.

The Housing Stability and Homelessness campaign is the fourth and final CSWB information campaign for 2024. This campaign connects all other priority areas identified in the CSWB Plan that were highlighted throughout the year. The overall messaging for this campaign is focused around shifting the way our communities view homelessness, through debunking the myths, changing the way we think about how a person may have ended up unhoused, and understanding the larger systematic issues so that we can all be part of the solution.

“The complexities of homelessness in Huron have continued to increase as the nation- wide housing crisis unfolds. We know that housing with supports offers the best possible sustainable outcomes, especially for those in the greatest depth of need who are often unable to resolve their homelessness without assistance”, says Erin Schooley, Homelessness Programs Supervisor. 

Catherine Hardman, Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association Huron Perth Addiction and Mental Health Services stresses the importance of a housing first model to provide adequate support to an individual, “the Bridge Housing and Stability Program in collaboration with Huron County aims to immediately transition vulnerable individuals out of homelessness and into a temporary living space that provides stability. This model provides housing first for individuals experiencing homelessness, creating a home environment where additional supports can then be

offered”.

Homelessness can affect every aspect of life, including family well-being and all aspects of health. In August 2024, at least 20 families were experiencing homelessness in Huron County. It is often difficult for families to remain together in the same space during one of the most difficult times of their lives as they manage their homelessness. By speaking up for affordable housing in your community, the focus of United Way’s latest campaign ‘Speak Up For Housing’, you may be helping a family remain together.

If you know someone who needs help – reach out. There are several supports that are only a phone call away:

• 211 Ontario (call or text 2-1-1, or visit online)

• Crisis Line (24/7): 1-888-829-7484

• Huron County Social & Property Services: 519-482-8505

• Local connection centres in Huron (providing emergency basic needs and vital community services):

  • Exeter: 519-235-2991

  • Wingham: 519-271-6819 extension 309

The campaign started on October 1st and will be pushed out by all lower-tier municipalities and the agencies and organizations involved in the Community Safety and Well-Being for Huron Oversight Committee.

More information about the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan for Huron can be found at www.cswbhuron.ca.