Chatham-Kent (CK) Council has been presented with two very different realities at the transitional cabin site in Chatham.
Heather Brown told councillors on Monday night at their meeting that she's a recovering drug addict and alcoholic for the past 22 years, has lived at the cabin site called Pathways on Park for the past two months, and fears for her health and safety because of the constant drug use at the site.
Brown said her experience living at the cabin site at the corner of Hyslop Street and Park Street in Chatham is "not close to what I was led to believe."
"There's a list of things that could definitely change. I'm not here just for myself, I'm here for everyone, as I have brothers and cousins who are addicted. Why don't we stop handing the tools to keep them doing what they're doing and start providing tools and a path to a sober and better life," said Brown.
Brown said she suffers from high blood pressure, but was denied a drug card when she first got to the cabin site to get her medication, and ended up in the hospital.
"The complete disregard to a serious life-threatening medical concern has been disgusting to say the least. I can count on my hand the number of staff who checked on me after my recent hospital trip and have fingers left over. And these are the people I'm supposed to put my trust in to help me," Brown added.
Brown also said selling her car is not an option in order to get benefits because she needs it to get around and find work.
Kim Crew, CK Director of Housing Services, has a very different view, saying that not all residents aim to be sober. Substance use is not a barrier to living at the cabin site, according to the municipality.
"We do not encourage substance use. Instead, we work with individuals to build motivation to change by connecting their addiction as a barrier to maintaining housing. If a participant continually refuses to participate or make any meaningful progress in addressing the barriers that are preventing them from securing housing, they're removed from the program," said Crew.
Crew reported that eight residents have been kicked out of the cabin site for repeatedly breaking the rules, including open substance use, damaging units, and violence.
She emphasized that staff at the cabin site are case managers, refer residents to professionals for assistance, and are not counsellors or social workers.
Councillor Ryan Doyle asked how the municipality could stop enabling substance use at the cabin site through harm reduction kits, but Jennifer Crowell, CK Manager of Homelessness Prevention Services, told council that harm reduction and kits are mandated by CK Public Health through the province to keep drug users safe.
The Medical Officer of Health in CK will now be asked to attend council at a future meeting to answer questions about harm reduction programs and what other public health units are doing to address concerns from many that harm reduction kits actually enable drug use.
The municipality said the transitional cabins provide structured, supportive housing to those who need it.
Crew said that nine residents have found long-term housing since the cabins opened in August, two residents have already entered treatment programs for substance use, another will enter treatment on Saturday, and a fourth is on a waiting list to enter treatment in January.
She also noted that the 50 cabins are full, and there are 61 people on the waiting list for the cabins.
The Pathway2Care Program, an outreach initiative that supports individuals aged 16 and over experiencing houselessness in Chatham-Kent, is also expanding and will be starting services at the cabin site on Tuesday.
The program, which pairs paramedics, housing workers, and peer leaders into a mobile team delivering integrated primary care and social support in non-traditional settings, is also working with the Canadian Mental Health Association to bring crisis and drug counsellors into the program.
