SUMMERSIDE – Community groups and organizations are being asked to put forth ideas on how best to curb and prevent homelessness on Prince Edward Island.
The John Howard Society of P.E.I. on behalf of the P.E.I. Community Advisory Committee on Homelessness has put out a call for expressions of interest for projects that would support homeless Islanders become self-sufficient and to prevent those at risk from becoming homeless.
Summerside and Charlottetown have been designated as one of 61 areas in the country where homelessness is an issue, said Carl Doucette, community co-ordinator with the P.E.I. Homelessness Partnering Strategy.
"It's more invisible on P.E.I. We don't see it as much on the streets. There are still people who are couch surfing or living in buildings that are not the most appropriate but we don't see it as visibly on P.E.I. as we would in larger centres," Doucette of homeless in this province. "But there are a lot of people struggling with housing."
On P.E.I. there are only four emergency shelters in operation - Anderson House (19 beds), Bedford MacDonald House (six beds) and Grandmother's House (six beds), all in Charlottetown, and Chief Mary Bernard Memorial Women's Shelter (12 beds) in Lennox Island.
There are no emergency shelters in operation in Summerside. The local Salvation Army does help clients find temporary sleeping arrangements within the city.
The Island lacks a youth homeless shelter, an issue brought to the forefront last week when a group of homeless youths was found squatting on land beneath Charlottetown's Hillsborough Bridge.
Youth homelessness is one of two priority areas the society and advisory committee wants to address with some of the $825,000 received through the Government of Canada's Homelessness Partnership Strategy.
It's looking for proposals relating to shelters, transitional housing, support services for homeless youth, including those with disabilities, additions and mental health issues.
The society and the advisory committee are also looking for proposals to aid adults at risk of becoming homeless or who are already homeless.
"It is really up to community organizations to come forward with their proposals to say this is what we're interested in doing," said Doucette. "It could be capital projects, building something or renovating something or it could also be supportive services, some kind of counselling or those kinds of programs in support of people that are homeless."
According to the P.E.I. Report on Homelessness released in May the number of emergency shelter beds in P.E.I. is just 43.
In 2010, 276 people stayed in a shelter - 135 women, 68 men and 12 youth aged 16 to 19. Shelter beds were used 4,995 times in 2010 with the average length of a stay being 16 days.
According to the same report, 30 people were turned away from shelters in 2010.
"This is a significant issue," said Doucette.
Letters of interest must describe the organization's mandate, how it proposes to address one or more of the identified priority areas and must clearly outline partnership arrangements and confirm the proposal's financial sustainability.
"Organizations would have to have some sort of match funding," explained Doucette.
There will be information sessions in Charlottetown on Aug. 15 at the John Howard Society's offices from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and on Aug. 17 at the Summerside Legion from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 7.
The committee will then review all proposals and, hopefully, award funding to the successful projects by late October or early November.