Community Safety and Well-Being Plan

More local events provided for local residents- look within instead of outside

(Post-COVID) Create local block/zone parties where there are food trucks, local vendors, and games for neighbours to get to know one another

Get to know your neighbours - Block Parties

Safety and perspective shift from ‘Differently-abled’ to ‘Abled’

Survey and adapt safety of sidewalks, access to stores, amenities and the ability to enjoy community life from a critical view that adjust to how can these be experienced as ‘and people can be equally treated as ‘abled’ vs feeling something has been adapted for ‘differently abled’.

Improve the environment for walking

Roads are hostile. Vehicles are obnoxiously loud, speeding is common place, and drivers are aggressive. It is as though there is zero enforcement.

Reducing Noise

Noise is proven to be a contributing factor to high blood pressure and stress. We need to eliminate the sources of this noise which includes the exhaust noise of motocycles. Other jurisdictions like Oakville have bylaws backed up by Police to enforce the bylaw. There are many other areas across the country that are taken action.

hate needs to be taken seriously in all forms. mandatory equity and anti-oppression training for all city employees (especially police)

Change how the police are funded

The police have become the one stop shop for every social issue which doesn't make sense. If the city and anchor institutions refuse to consider defunding the police then at least change how the money is used to better train the police on being better able to work with racialized/queer/low income/disabled people. Hire crisis workers through the police budget. Do more friendly, community policing.

Take responsibility!

In my 5 years as a resident of Hamilton, I went from giving city council the benefit of the doubt to realizing that they blow a whole lot of smoke. The city seems to SAY a lot about the need to make changes, does things like this engagement project, and then just forgets about the whole thing and never makes any actual concrete changes. In terms of Hate, the city has not taken any responsibility on any of the recent public incidents. Pride Festival, Yellow Vest protestors etc. Council just hums and haws. If you really want to stop hate speech then STOP IT. Nothing is stopping you except your biased constituents.

Sign up for "Listen, Learn, Act: An Anti-Hate Community Summit" taking place May 19th and 20th sponsored by No Hate in the Hammer.

Defund the HPS

The HPS (Hamilton police) have been shown to be guilty of targeting vulnerable populations and minorities in Hamilton. We need to start defunding them and re allocating the funds to help our community. They only act as bullies protecting private property. They do not help our community. The force has a huge systemic racism and sexism problem that cannot be solved with more money. It is deep rooted. We need new systems to address our community's issues.

Offer City resources to support the growth of Restorative Justice programs in Hamilton

Offer start-up grants, office space or whatever is needed by those who would offer RJ programs. Review the leadership of Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council and Community Justice Initiatives and seek their guidance on emulating their work in Hamilton.

Provide sustainable long term funding to programs and services that are shown to reduce violence.

Violence is the symptom and not the problem. Violence is born out of fear and a battle to maintain a place of power. Gang warfare, domestic violence, hate crime, etc. all come from the same place. This must start from ensuring that everyone has access to basic needs, an opportunity to grow and thrive in education, and an equitable opportunity to access post secondary education. It must then continue through to providing long-term, comprehensive programs and services that provide intervention services to individuals who exhibit violent behavior. Incarceration alone will only perpetuate violent behaviour and support the individual's narrative that "the system" is against them. Recognize that violence generally happens in the communities that are most in need. This should be no surprise given the well studied factors that contribute to criminality and violence. The city does not actively work with the members of these communities in any meaningful way to determine the needs of the community and what the male youths (largest demographic of violent behaviour) are experiencing that pushes them towards exhibiting violent behaviour. Because violence is a symptom, it cannot be solved in a silo and must be considered in a socio-cultural context. Why are young, male, racialized groups engaging in violence? Why are young white males engaged in violence towards racialized groups? They are fighting to keep whatever power and resources they have or fighting to get what they don't have. We must address the issues of poverty and oppression before violence can be address. A final point of thought is that the City and the POlice service must set the example and live by an anti-violence framework. This means that policing must change the way it is interacting in these communities and community services/grassroots groups must be supported financially and politically to carry out the work that is needed. It may feel counterproductive, but violence is not a law enforcement issue. It is first and foremost a societal issue that requires a social solution.

Courts support Police! Seems so many problems are from repeat offenders or those out on Probation! The HPS must feel that their hands tied!

Mental health care, harm reduction services, income supports and affordable, supportive housing

Have more in-depth free mental health care for those committing violent crimes. Have early interventions and counselling for perpetrators and victims of domestic violence. Offer harm reduction services for this with substance use disorders. Get people into appropriate affordable housing. Lift people out of poverty by advocating to increase minimum wage Ontario works and ODSP rates. .

Better and free access to mental health services. Put people in jail longer when they’ve committed crimes of violence.

Not penalize people on a sudden decision to hurt themselves & realize they weren't going to but the Police take away license for 3 months!

Need better Mental Health support Not Punishment!

Indoor winter walking wellness- Covid safe

Create a partnership with Cadillac Fairview to open the malls Limeridge and Eastgate for indoor walking safety for seniors and infirm and physically challenged persons. They would need floor cleaners salary subsidized. One way path and 8 foot spacing meet PH standards. Perhaps the businesses will want to advertise on their windows and appreciate the exposure. City of Hamilton Wellness programs and Rec can operate the walking program. Winter cold and unsafe icy paths make exercise difficult for those with accessibility issues and chronic disease. It would also provide an excellent central local to share info for vaccine, and covid tracing.

A way to get mental health resources in current lockdown for those that have no programs available through phone or internet. The forgotten

Advocation and Awareness

More awareness about the types of mental health disorders that people can have and where they are able to get help. Awareness to end the stigma around all types of mental health disorders and to encourage people who may need help to seek it.

Supportive housing

Continue increasing resources made available for the development of new supportive housing every year. Dramatically increase resources available to CityHousing Hamilton to ensure all units are of good quality so tenants feel dignified not stigmatized.

Update bylaws and allow/sustain encampments

We do not have enough affordable housing in the city. Encampments are a natural outcome. We cannot keep destroying people's attempts at surviving when shelters are constantly at capacity. We need to update bylaws to allow affordable housing asap and allow and support existing encampments.

Improve transit and make city employees work remotely to reduce demand for parking downtown, build affordable housing instead of parking.

With more extensive and long term remote work policies, land that is currently used for parking could be used for affordable housing downtown, where many social support services would already be in walking distance.

make it mandatory for developers to have to include a percentage of apartments or condos to be affordable to lower income

build affordable & supportive housing ASAP - change bylaws to permit modular housing

Build designated encampment areas that provide for basic hygiene and safety needs

Outdoor handwashing stations, outhouses, feminine hygiene products, small personal shelters (cabins?), even shower and laundry facilities. Making it possible to keep dignity (hygiene, security) in tact while a person is suffering homelessness/ addiction will make it easier for people to bridge the gap back into 'society' when they are ready.

Connect individuals to valuable resources - "You don't know what you don't know”

Income - regular work, part-time work, gig work, EI, social services, etc - how do we help get access to the right supports when that income is gone? It is often difficult to access financial supports when a job is lost, benefits end, families separate, or illness occurs. Just telling someone to apply for EI, OSAP, job retraining, ODSP or Ontario Works isn’t always enough. Not everyone qualifies, and sometimes we need to do more than just point, or tell someone to look at an unclear website, but instead EXPLAIN why and how. Some individuals or families are just past the cut-off threshold for support yet are struggling to pay for their home, food or transportation. Then what? What happens when individuals are unsure of WHAT questions to ask or WHO to ask to get access to a resource or service. Anyone can fall through the cracks because someone tells them NO and they don't know where to go next. This applies to youth and adults of all ages; educated or not, experienced or not - if someone tells you No, how many people just stop in their tracks? Then add in barriers. If individuals do not have family or community supports, do not feel safe, struggle with physical or mental health challenges, feel marginalized or racialized, will they push forward or feel that no one will listen? Why make individuals work so hard just to get the information they need? Most would help a friend learn about resources when they ask, so why not help our community? Create a "Resource Person" role within our city to help guide all individuals to the services they need. Make the role accessible virtually, over the phone or in person. This is not a social services worker or reception role, but a person who can actively assist individuals to learn how to access resources or services. We also need to consider how much work or how many "clicks" it takes to access a resource, and if it is accessible or clear to everyone. By providing a clearer path we can help individuals get to where they WANT to be, not where they end up.

Support for a Universal Basic Income and equitable access to post secondary education

Access to adequate income is a symptom of a much larger systemic problem. The City needs to actively join the voices of social services and citizens calling for the Provincial and Federal Government to step up and provide a universal basic income. Families works several jobs and still can't make ends meet. "Pulling up the boot straps" and working more is not a solution to earning more. Whether an individual is supported by Ontario Works or multiple jobs, they do not have the supports they need to meet their needs. OW perpetuates a cycle that is nearly impossible to get out of permanently. The City must champion our low-socioeconomic status citizens to our provincial and federal government for a Universal Basic Income. The Federal Government determined that people need a minimum of $2000 per month to pay basic expenses. This still falls short considering the cost of rent and food in our city. It is impossible in this forum to go into all of the nuances of how the current social support system is oppressive and prohibits people from getting out but here are a few points; - Being forced to take out enormous loans to attend post secondary school is prohibitive. The cost of school is not the only barrier facing those who cannot afford tuition. Equitable solutions that ensure people have a safe place to live, reliable transportation to campus, food, and mental health supports is just the beginning. However the income gap between those who have post secondary and those who do not is enormous and telling. - When leaving the OW system for employment, people are forced to take jobs that do not provide medical benefits, sick time, or vacation. These "privileges" are necessary for success for those suffering from mental health and addiction. Eventually, low income jobs cause loss of home, lack of adequate food to keep working, and stopping expensive medications that manage mental health conditions. They are also exploited by employers who threaten to fire them if they take sick time due to mental health. - The traveling necessary to find and maintain work in the city is prohibitive. Spending hours on buses to get to interviews or to get to work shifts on time is expensive and leaves no time for the other supports necessary to their wellbeing such as counselling appointments, methadone clinics, A.A. meetings, psychiatrist appointments, doctors appointments, etc. -Accessing subsidised or affordable child care is nearly impossible and often results in traveling an hour in one direction to drop a child off, then travelling an hour in another direction to get to work. Then parents feel stressed about getting to pick up their child on time and punished when they can't because of transit. - Those who have multiple jobs spend time traveling between jobs, balancing the demands of multiple exploitive bosses, and experience significant health issues resulting from long term stress and neglect of health/mental health. People generally want to work and contribute to their communities in meaningful ways. Ensuring they can work and earn enough to support themselves, increases their capacity to contribute and reduces their reliance on emergency rooms, social services, etc. Again, the research is there. We just choose to ignore it. Canada is not the only country that studied this project.

Sidewalks to Be Plowed

It is time for sidewalks to be plowed. The elderly especially need access for than most. This issue has been batted around on council forever. Despite that Ancaster residents pay for sidewalk clearing, this option should also be available to other areas. It is especially important that sidewalk routes to schools be cleared. It is time to act on this, it is a access and a safety issue for all.

Interim support for those who ‘fall through the cracks.’

Many people cannot access existing income supports at federal and provincial levels because they do not qualify, have used up their entitlements, are waiting long timeframes for decisions to be reached, or do not have the tools to navigate complex processes. The city needs to make interim income and social support available so people do not fall through the cracks and have to face eviction, hunger, family separation or unnecessary hardships.

Advocate to the Province for increased ODSP rates

Our social contract essentially dictates that people who want money must work for it. Exceptions are made for those whose doctors affirm their disability is a barrier to work. In those cases, we support them with monthly ODSP payments, but they amount to less than 2/3 the poverty line. That is an injustice. Increasing ODSP rates to the poverty line would increase the provincial budget by around $2b annually but that's a challenge we must embrace. Advocate for new tax brackets at the top level of incomes if necessary.