Community Safety and Well-Being Plan

Walkable with wide sidewalks and tress

Safe communities need to offer plenty of room to walk, trees and landscaping with low to mid-rise buildings that offer a connection to those around them. We need to stop erecting building to the edges of streets - they block the sun, create wind tunnels and community members feel a loss of connection to their neighborhood and stop caring.

Affordable housing

Safe Injection Sites, Transitional Housing, Brave solutions to chronic homelessness - Particularly in hub and mobile style models.

The privileged citizenry of Hamilton are terrified of methods of harm reduction that have a long research-based history of success. The city of Hamilton continues a NIMBY campaign rather than embracing solutions that work. Suburban and privileged citizenry need to be educated about services that reduce the impact of drug use and homelessness in their communities. Well funded and managed safe injection sites reduce overdoses, keep needles out of parks, and provide immediate intervention to those who need it. Drug use will not go away by refusing to provide safe services. Nor will it disappear through gentrification. Like in other, wealthier areas, drug use will simply be diverted to parks, woodlands, alleys, and parking lots. Educate the community rather than giving in to the "pearl clutchers". Sometimes the government has to do what is good for the community rather than what makes everyone happy. This is where the Hamilton city government continues to fail. Recognize that the shelter system is not a safe place to live. It victimizes and causes trauma to those who are caught up in chronic homelessness, causing them to live in tents, doorways, alleys, etc. Get creative about solutions and look at the myriad of unique, successful solutions that have been implemented across north america and europe using modular housing, "pod" shelters, etc. Also recognize that pet ownership with the shelter population is a safety measure. Their pet is often the only safe emotional connection/companion and crucial to their wellbeing. Account for that when funding services and building policies. Provide the funding and infrastructure for non-profits to engage in Hub style service delivery so that the homeless population doesn't have to spend hours traveling all over the city for food, healthcare, and services. Being homeless and/or being reliant on city social services is exhausting and counterproductive to people getting off of social assistance programs. There is a huge body of research related to the intersection of public transportation and accessing food/community services. If we actually want to reduce tax spending on homelessness and poverty, then we need to invest upfront to prevent detrimental cycles. When people don't feel cared about or valuable in their community, they will not care about or value the community itself. Why should the care that we don't like their tent in our park, when we shun them, spit on them, and don't value them enough to provide the help they actually need, rather then the help we think they need?

A safe community has meaningful access to services other than policing, especially for mental health issues.

A safe community has access to crisis counselling, counsellors and professionals without hopelessly long waitlists, temporary and longer-term interventions such as respite centres, and ways for people to get assistance that do not always involve calling police.

Implementation of traffic calming measures and designing streets as shared community areas with emphasis on pedestrian and cyclist safety.

Ensure a diverse government

Our government should accurately reflect those in the community to be able to speak to inequities and hate incidents of specific groups.

Uphold higher standards for leadership

Leaders of our community need to be empowered to uphold a standard of social inclusion and to take a stand against hate whenever they see it. They also need to be held accountable when they do not model a spirit of inclusivity and equity. Hate has no place in Hamilton, and hate crimes need to be addressed by our city, not just buried.

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.

Punishment for the Crime

Stricter measures to be put in place for all people in government, city, or community leadership as to what is a hate crime and what will happen if one is committed with fast and strict measures if one is committed.

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

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. .

Stricter Courts?? Answer isn't easy!

I was extremely upset, to put it mildly, when a week ago a Resident Dr. @ a Hamilton Hospital said that he was afraid to bring his young family to live with him in Hamilton due to the high crime rate in Hamilton! He hasn't been with them since June/20, how extremely sad is that! He thought that they were safer in USA!!! I was so shocked & that was such an emotionally upsetting thing to hear! I mentioned some areas that appear to be safer ie. Stoney Creek, Waterdown, Ancaster, Hamilton Mtn. etc.! The Hamilton I grew up in used to be such a safe place!! I don't know the solution really wish that I did!

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.

reducing income inequality (e.g. universal basic income, adequate welfare), decriminalization of drugs would decrease cycles of crime&prison

Abolish prisons and increase social supports and rehabilitation

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.

Educational Campaigns to Reduce Stigma

There is a lot of support for people in the community experiencing mental health concerns, but a lack of education for families and community members to support people. Increase support to families of people with mental health concerns and provide practical ways for families and friends to support people they love.

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.

We need to rethink ways to get treatment to those who need it but are deemed competent. Legislative changes and different, firm approaches.

Police should not attempt a mental health related interaction without the presence of a medical professional.

Police officers are trained to ensure the public's compliance through escalating threats and application of violence. These escalation based methods often do not work well with someone experiencing a mental health crisis. Where there are reasonable grounds to suspect someone is undergoing a mental health crisis, the police should avoid interaction until a qualified medical professional is on the scene.

When we know the reason for the homelessness (mental health, abuse, addiction, etc) can we provide mobile supports and basic accommodations.

Most people would not choose to be homeless

Access to Care

Allowing better access to care and to resources such as housing options and mental health care and other services for the homeless and everyone else who could be struggling in the community with housing or homelessness. Making them feel like they are part of the greater community and not looked down upon by anyone.

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.

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

Limit amount of rentals per an owner/investment group to make home ownership a level playing field

There should a limit on the number of homes a person can own for rental purposes, and even in investment groups the number home homes should be limited to one per a house hold, ( so a both spouses in a household could only own one income property combined not one each) and (only one per house hold in an investment group eg. even if husband and wife were in two separate investment groups only one could own a rental property) this would help keep home prices affordable by flattening demand and help make home ownership attainable to more people.

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.

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.

Transit schedules that connect you to jobs

Hamilton has a lot of good jobs just not accessible by bus or practical by bus Invest in transit to make it easier to get to work. A lot of buses don't connect. and you spend a lot of your commute time waiting for buses. It's impossible to plan a trip in the east end where buses actually connect . you end up waiting half hour+ because the bus your on, missed the connect bus by 2 mins . After working 12hrs and its -20 i cant explain the stress.