The Lakeland out of the Elements Shelter is proposing to acquire a new house to accommodate for their recent increase in clients in the cold weather. The shelter provides a place to sleep and the basic necessities of life for people who are experiencing homelessness in Lac La Biche and the surrounding areas.
Along with the purchase of new accommodation, the shelter's board also aim to be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Despite an increase in the operational cost, the board members feel this is essential is because of the reasons they provide behind being homeless and how it's not someone's choice. Grace Miller she is one of the board members with the Lakeland out of the Elements Shelter. She mentions how they serve some people who only need temporary shelter's but those that are homeless for a longer time, are homeless for a reason.
"People that are in the shelter for a longer length of time than the temporary homeless would rather not be homeless. We have found that they require longer term shelter because either they have medical problems, addictions or mental health problems. Unlike some medical problems, unfortunately mental problems are generally invisible and we wonder why they can't support themselves like anyone else," said Miller.
She continued to talk more about the significance of mental health issues by explaining the impacts it has on people and the fact that some of these mental health issues can be permanent and long-term — sometimes it is even by birth.
"Some mental illnesses are long-term and some are actually permanent. Mental illnesses can continue an extended periods of time and some are actually permanent. To explain how some of these disorders affect people, a number of our clients have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This occurs when a mother drinks alcohol while pregnant or use drugs while pregnant. Both can damage the baby. Unfortunately, the brain damage that occurs can never be repaired and remind throughout adulthood. Those with FASD are usually left with intellectual disabilities and lack social understanding... Many employers let them go because they require so much supervision," Miller continued, "Adults with FASD often make poor choices like drinking, using drugs and committing crimes... Some people who have experienced traumatic events can also end up homeless. Once on the streets, trauma continues. Homelessness itself is traumatic... A study in Toronto found that people who were homeless for more than two years were twice as likely to have mental illness than those homeless for a shorter period of time."
The shelter has also been provided funding from the Lac La Biche County last year. They were provided with $60,000 in the spring of 2018 and $42,000 in emergency funding in the fall. Recently, at a special council meeting held at the McArthur Place last Wednesday, board members have submitted a request for operational funding of $100,000 — considering last year's needs which are likely to be similar again this year. At the meeting, Miller also talked a little about their upcoming project of purchasing a house for clients other than the operational funding grant request that were actually there for.
"You may have heard that we are at capacity and will soon be asking if you would be willing to purchase a house for our clients. We will discuss that with you another time. Today, however, we are simply asking for operating funding," said Miller at the special council meeting.
