This was such an amazing comment from Christine Wilson that I felt that it should be a post unto itself in order that more people might read it:

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Thank you for your well written comments.

You have exposed a syndrome the suburbanites may have not known they suffer from.

It is true that many have chosen to abandon the downtown area to live, work, shop and play in upscale and private communities. Indeed, living this lifestyle causes culture shock when they venture into the mean streets.

I am grateful for your comments about my homeless outreach program.

You have pointed out some of the differences in the types of homeless and panhandlers, which many may not have understood.

The first group are the new street people. It is of utmost importance for us to help them discover the available services. When we reach these individuals before the pimps and drug dealers, we can help them to move forward to become productive members of our community.

The second group is and always will be a greater challenge. They have suffered every abuse at the hands of pimps and drug dealers. Many have suffered countless instances of rape (men and women). Many are victims of child sexual abuse. Many have self medicated with drugs or alcohol to ease their suffering. Many have become hard core alcoholics and drug addicts.

It is apparent when an alcoholic gets drunk on his first beer that his liver is shot. He or she has already been told by their doctor they do not qualify for a liver transplant and they do not have much time left. At this point they give up trying to get help. My heart goes out to these poor souls.

I agree that interviewing this group is a waste of time. They do continue to need the services of my agency, and other services.

When we deliver a sleeping bag to someone we know will sleep in a parking garage on a cold winter night we are miserable in our souls. How much greater would it be to help lead this person to a warm bed.

Sadly, shelters require conformity to their rules. A person who is intoxicated can be unruly as any honest bar owner would admit. For years I have seen and heard the fighting, arguing and aggressive behavior of the young drinking crowds in downtown Windsor. We have all heard of the tragedies which have occurred i.e. do we all remember a young man murdered after leaving a downtown bar at night?

Bar owners regularly bounce drunken people from their premises, however, they continue to serve alcohol.

The question here is: bars kick unruly drunks out and shelters do the same so is one wrong and one right? Of course not. This is the premise of the much maligned wet shelter my husband promoted. A wet shelter helps a person who is in their final stages to die with dignity. A drink in their hand (which their doctor knows they now suffer without) and a warm bed with friends at their side. It is humane.

Toronto is the only city I know of that has a wet shelter. Windsor does not.

Windsor has rejected this act of humanity. It has been often said to me “They can stop drinking. They can conform. They want to be homeless.” It saddens me to hear these statements and it shocks me when I hear these things from Social Services.

Some people need to get off their high horses and support all the programs that truly work to help the homeless.

I am not so supportive of programs that use homelessness funding to primarily support initiatives that rarely help an actual homeless person. I DO NOT think these other programs are unnecessary though.

My point is homeless funding should help the homeless. Other funding should be sought to provide programs designed to help the poor.

Most of the programs are funded under the murky grey area of “at risk of homelessness”. What this means is anyone who lives under the poverty line can access the services! This includes everyone on welfare, everyone on disability, every working poor person and everyone in social housing.

“Sour grapes!” They will cry out. “Just because we have the homeless funding and she doesn’t.” They will add the protest. “We are helping people so they don’t become street people.” They will further protest “The people who are at risk of homelessness are more important. They have not fallen as hard and are easier to serve.”

That seems to make sense to the many. Thus, funds to help the homeless are used to provide services to poor people on the premise if they don’t get these services they could possibly become homeless.

Wouldn’t it simply make a lot more sense to raise the welfare rate. Then these poor people would have enough money to pay their transportation, do their laundry in the machines already supplied by Windsor Housing, pay for their own identification, pay for their hygiene and household cleaning supplies?

Is it truly logical to use funds for the homeless to provide top up services to the poor?

If it is logical, then it is an admission by Social Services they are forcing people to live in such abject poverty they now have to fund service providers with salaries to dole out these necessities.

We live in a community that funds programs designed for the poor and miserably fails to invest in programs designed to help people get off the streets.

The third group of long term homeless are those who suffer from mental health issues.

Most would not know Windsor does not have a safe shelter for people who suffer with mental illnesses. The shelters cannot afford to hire mental health professionals. With shelters so ill-equipped to serve this group it is not surprising these individuals live on the street.

More funding needs to be made available for mental health services.

A fourth group are our homeless children. These youth have been stereotyped. It is often said “They don’t want to do their homework. They don’t want to follow the rules. They don’t want to do household chores. They want to party on the streets.”

The people who so condemn ignore that childhood sexual abuse and childhood mental health issues are the primary reasons for youth homelessness. I was molested in a foster home. I ran away to the mean streets. I was accused of these same things. I was abused by strangers when I panhandled. I was raped countless times. I know.

There is a plan for a shelter for homeless boys in Windsor. This plan though has not been supported by the powers that be for the past six years. Sadly, there is no plan for a shelter for homeless girls.

Homeless youth do not belong in shelters for adult men and adult women. It is illogical to try to house these groups together.

When I see Windsor truly support the homeless with a Wet shelter, a Male Youth shelter, a Female Youth shelter, and a Mental Health shelter I will say Windsor is on the path toward a sustainable and healthy community.

There are other groups e.g. transgendered, gay, lesbian and bisexual homeless adults and youth who are also deprived of a shelter where they would feel safe.

Windsor, you’ve come a long way since I was a homeless youth. There was only a soup kitchen for men. They wouldn’t serve me. The priest said “We only serve men. Women have other ways of making money.” There were no shelters. Food banks wouldn’t give food to me because I did not have a home.

Windsor is about 20 years behind London. London even has a shelter where whole families can live. A hotel room in Windsor is the only option. Couples without children are forced to live in separate shelters. Many couples cannot live apart and live on the street.

I have been much maligned by service providers in Windsor for the twelve years I have been in service to the homeless. I do not have one of their little college diplomas or a university degree. For this single reason a number of service providers have denigrated or ignored my presentations at meetings. I have often been told “We are the real professionals. We know what the homeless need.”

Windsor, you’ve come a long way, but, you’ve got a long way to go.