Community Safety and Well-Being Plan

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

More safe recreation opportunities

housing (& supportive housing) for everyone

Being welcoming of all cultures and religions

Safe and healthy Housing for everyone! Inclusive Housing Plan. Develop a cohesive social fabric to support the bricks and mortar

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.

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

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.

Messaging from the top down and funding from the bottom up.

Researchers across North America and Europe recommend that messaging and behaviour president must come from those in government and law enforcement. Those in places of power must condemn acts of hate and more importantly hate motivated thinking processes and attitudes. Less than one third of all hate incidents are reported to police, which means the numbers reported each year represent a fraction of victims. Fear of retaliation, fear of further victimization by police, language barriers, and a lack of understanding are the top reasons why people don't report. People in power need to live the message and hand the power to grassroots movements and non-profit organization to mobilize and collaborate to ensure services are in place to support victims and intervene with perpetrators. Governments and law enforcement agencies need to be prepared to recognize that their policies and practice are directly prohibiting victims from reporting and be ready to make difficult and sweeping changes. Tokenism and messages of "togetherness" are not enough to solve hate crime. It is no secret in Hamilton that bias, racist, and oppressive practices are rampant in city council and police services; why would a victim report victimization to their abuser? A prime example of this is the current issue with HWDSB Trustees. It is clear from a victim perspective that racism is okay in hamilton and in hamilton schools. Studies are clear that this type of power hoarding and intentional disregard will perpetuate hate motivated thinking and behaviours among perpetrators. Further, hate crime will not be impacted in any meaningful way until there are sweeping changes in the police service. Year after year we see the treatment of marginalized citizens by police and rail against the overconfidence, power hungry, and militant practices. Yet, nothing changes and the city continues to cling to old ideas of law enforcement. Every time there is an incident such as the recent video of police lunging at a trans woman who was simply trying to explain her side of a story, there is a baffled response by government and police. That officer victimized an individual that is in a demographic that experiences the most violent forms of hate crime. Why would she report to police? Our police service and their practices perpetuate violence in our city and are nowhere near being able to address hate crime in any meaningful way. Such behaviour by officers is clearly acceptable and encouraged, otherwise it wouldn't happen, particularly when the officer knows they are on camera. It is important to note that hate crime has a reverberation effect that can be global in nature. This means that every victim who saw that video is now less likely to report to police and more likely to be victimized again. They are more likely to experience trauma and not recieve supports. When we call for defunding police, we don't mean get rid of the police. We mean redirect the overabundance of funding that allows for the purchasing of militarizing equipment and capital purchases to projects such as this that require significant, long term, sustainable funding of non-profits and grassroots groups to prevent incidents, support victims, educate the public, and intervene with perpetrators. Police would have to be involved less if the Hamilton City government adopted funding policies that were based on research and not fear.

Remove the school trustee board members who were confirmed to have made racist comments/posts. We need our leaders to be setting an example.

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

Awareness and Resources

Better resources made available to prevent all type of violent incidences from ones including police to ones that are out of the ordinary and need more assistance. Better awareness as well to such incidences when they take place so that others that may have been affected in the community feel safe around the area still.

Abolish prisons and increase social supports and rehabilitation

Better collaboration and community support to reduce recidivism

We can do better to support people coming out of correctional institutions to support them with housing, income security, employment and addictions concerns. This will reduce recidivism and give the whole community hope.

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. .

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

A don’t judge social media/ad campaign focusing on showing everyday people that suffer, but get treatment, for their illness. Positive ads

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Those with lived experience, should come together and open our governments eyes on how serious this pandemic is becoming.

This is a serious matter at hand, that's only becoming worse, without the proper support and backbone, Hamiltonians who are in crisis NEED.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The basic income pilot showed success and should be implemented locally. A person’s well-being can be positively influenced in this way.

Re-instate the Basic Income Pilot