Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Feb. 12, 2024 – How Are We Assisting Individuals In Need At Local GO Stations?
Welcome to the Mayor’s Monday Mailbag, an initiative Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor’s Office launched to share weekly answers to questions from the public we’ve received through our main email inbox at mayor@burlington.ca or the Mayor’s social media platforms.At the end of the month, we publish a roundup of those most pressing questions we’ve received in the weeks prior.
Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Feb. 12, 2024QUESTION:"How are we supporting and assisting individuals in need at our local GO stations?”ANSWER:Thank you to the members of the public who have reached out to the Mayor's Office with concerns over individuals in need in our community, particularly those taking shelter at local GO Stations. Mayor Meed Ward shares these concerns.The Office of Burlington MPP Natalie Pierre, and Mayor and Council are working together to assist in responding to the concerns where possible as GO stations are looked after by Metrolinx. Halton Region, Halton Regional Police Service, and Metrolinx have an ongoing partnership and Halton Region Outreach Workers are attending GO stations regularly to inform affected individuals of the supports available to them and offering to assist.Currently, joint outreach is coordinated between HRPS, Halton Housing Help and a mental health and addictions nurse specifically onboarded to support individuals in need at GO stations. The Region has informed the City that the majority of individuals welcoming housing or social services support are relocated to emergency shelters.It is important to note that no one can compel an individual to use the services offered through the shelters, and some do not accept the support offered or make use of service interventions. Sadly, the help that is available and offered is often refused by the person for various reasons. Halton Region staff always endeavour to offer solutions to meet individual needs, and additional resources are offered through Halton Region Public Health, where applicable. Outreach and teams from Halton Housing, HRPS (including COAST) and City By-law are all working together to ensure the safety of all residentsMetrolinx has informed the Region and City that it continues to examine different overnight staffing models at its GO stations. HRPS has also offered considerable logistical support and have made recommendations to Metrolinx to enhance security measures on site. Shelter and other social service supports remain available to any individual that is accepting of assistance.To date, Halton Region has informed the City there is capacity in both Oakville and Burlington for men seeking emergency shelter accommodation. The Region’s program will temporarily house a homeless person as soon as possible, and agreements are in place with some hotels/motels for emergency situations or to provide overflow capacity as volume vary over time. In 2023, Halton’s Street Outreach Team assisted 139 individuals in accessing emergency shelter supports.If you come across an unhoused individual in need, please contact Halton Region directly at:
- Email: outreach@halton.ca
- Call: 1-866-442-5866
If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 9-1-1. If you have a concern with an experience at a GO station, please contact Metrolinx at metrolinx.com/en/contact-us and your local MPP: Burlington MPP Natalie Pierre at 905-639-7924 or Natalie.Pierre@pc.ola.org; Oakville North-Burlington MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos at 905-825-2455 or Effie.Triantafilopoulos@pc.ola.org; or Milton MPP Parm Gill at 905-878-1729 or parm.gill@pc.ola.org. Halton Regional Police Service also has an non-emergency line, 905-825-4777.Bridging the Gap is a program funded by the Region of Halton that strives to provide readily and easily accessible support for youth between the ages of 16-24 residing in the Halton Region who are experiencing homeless or are at risk of experiencing homelessness. Bridging the Gap is 2SLGBTQIA+ friendly, and committed to fostering a youth directed, strength-based approach to assisting youth in achieving their goals.
| Shelter for single women, couples & families with children under the age of 17 | Shelter for men |
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Halton Region continues to emphasize supportive housing as the most effective and durable solution to preventing homelessness and supporting unhoused individuals. A need for at least 120 units of supportive housing is needed to respond to homelessness and mitigate encampments in Halton. Approximately, 57 units are currently in development towards this target -- Halton Region knows that more needs to be done. Supportive housing environments are particularly needed for individuals with mental health and addictions issues.The Mayor and Burlington Council have taken an active role in advocacy for resources and supports that are the provisions from other levels of government. Please see more details below:
- Ontario's Big City Mayors Hold AGM Conference, Meet with Ministers on Key Municipal Priorities
- OBCM Meets with Deputy Premier of Health to Discuss Its Health & Homelessness Strategy
- Burlington & Halton Councils Unanimously Pass Resolutions Calling on Province to Help End Homelessness in Ontario
There is also a recent Mayor's Monday Mailbag that details the supports available for unhoused individuals, please click/tap here: Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 13, 2023 – Homelessness Encampments & Supports Available.
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- Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Feb. 5, 2024 – Why is Halton Region Upgrading Water Meters at Homes & Businesses?
- Mayor’s Mailbag – January 2024 Roundup – John St. Empty Lot; Standing Committee Format; & Public Notice Policy
- Mayor’s Mailbag – December 2023 Roundup – Warming Centres; & Snow-Clearing Operations