By Chad Ingram
Published August 9 2016
Are you couch surfing? Living in a shelter? Homeless?
The 20000 Homes Campaign would like to hear from you.
The City of Kawartha Lakes which is the social and housing services provider for both the City and the County of Haliburton is joining the 20000 Homes Campaign a program that aims to house 20000 of Canada’s most vulnerable people by July 1 2018.
That process will involve undertaking a homelessness count in both municipalities which will begin in August.
There are various categories of homelessness from the unsheltered – people living out on the street or in places not designed for human habitation – to the emergency sheltered to the provisionally
accommodated – those who have found temporary lodging with others.
The goal locally is to house 24 vulnerable people through a Housing First program by July 1 2018.
Those in precarious housing situations are invited to take a survey which will take about 10 minutes to fill out.
There are numerous locations in the county where the survey can be filled out Monday Aug. 22 through Wednesday Aug. 24.
In Minden people can visit the YWCA on Bobcaygeon Road FourCAST the John Howard Society Mental Health Services and the Minden Food Bank. Those locations can be visited all three days of the survey with the exception of the food bank on Tuesday Aug. 23 as it will be closed.
In Haliburton village the survey can be filled out at the social services offices on Maple Avenue during all three days of the survey.
Surveys will also be available at the 4Cs on Tuesday Aug. 23 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In Cardiff the survey will be available at the food bank from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday Aug. 23 and in Wilberforce from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday Aug. 24.
The branches of the Haliburton County Public Library will also be locations for the survey. The Cardiff Gooderham Highland Grove and Minden branches can be visited Tuesday Aug. 23 at various times.
At the Cardiff branch the survey will available from 3 to 5 p.m.; at the Gooderham branch from 6 to 8 p.m.; at the Highland Grove branch from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.; and the Minden branch from 5 to 7 p.m.
On Wednesday Aug. 24 the Dorset Dysart Stanhope and Wilberforce branches will be survey sites. The Dorset branch can be visited between 3 and 5 p.m.; Dysart between 5 and 7 p.m.; Stanhope between 1 and 3 p.m.; and the Wilberforce branch between 5 and 7 p.m.
There will also be a survey event at the corner of Bobcaygeon Road and Invergordon Avenue on Tuesday Aug. 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. and one in Head Lake Park in Haliburton later that day from 6 to 8 p.m.
Those who take part in the survey will receive a $5 gift card for Tim Hortons.
For more information visit 20kHomesCKLH@gmail.com.
