The Serious Disconnect to Access Shelter
There are serious problems with the way seniors, immigrants and the terminally ill are released from respite beds. It has come to the attention of the Coalition on Homelessness that sick people recovering from various things are being displaced. Reports that people from the respite have been returned to the streets with no exit plans or places to go.
There has been limited communication from the medical staff to the CHANGES system personnel-which is a serious disconnect in the system that is supposed to support people living on the street.
It has been reported that many people in the respite beds have been in some cases staying in respite longer because of the way the CHANGES system works, with links to housing before six months.
From what was reported many people couldn’t access beds unless they have a case manager, and case management is limited to most of the CAAP clients. The bottom line is that this system has limited concerns about the sick and people with fatal illnesses, and in some cases, the elderly.
Homeless ill people should not have to return to the emergency rooms to be housed or stay in respite beds-or in some cases sleep on the streets-if they are sick. Not when the city has empty beds being held for a CAAP client.
This system was sold to the city like it was going to help house people. But displacement is what homeless people got instead.
What a way to displace the already displaced!
How does the city sleep at night knowing some could have been in an empty bed they are holding for a person who may or may not come back?
Displacement has to stop and there has to be better communication with the changes management tema and the respite team to utilize these beds.
The Department of Human Services, which runs CHANGES, needs to communicate with the Department of Public Health in order to stop the abuse of the most needy homeless people, to in some cases save lives and get rid of some unnecessary trips to the emergency room.
In the end this city will pay for the mistreatment of people that are unable to take care of themselves. We need to find a better way to work together and stop sick homeless from sleeping on the streeet.
As a nation, we need to protect the most fragile people in the city, even if they happen to be homeless. Homeless people should be able to recover and get well too even if it may be in a shelter.
Bianca
