Randy, On the Record
Chatham-Kent Needs to Measure Whether We Are Actually Solving Homelessness
- Issued by
- Randy Hope campaign
- Published
Media release
Voters and Residents of Chatham-Kent.
Homelessness is one of the most difficult challenges facing Chatham-Kent, and it is something I believe we have to approach with both compassion and accountability.
We cannot measure success by how many meetings we hold, referrals we make or temporary placements we provide.
We need to know whether people are getting into stable housing, whether they are staying there, and whether fewer people are becoming homeless in the first place.
I have spent enough time in municipal government to know that good intentions are not enough. When we commit public resources to a problem, residents deserve to know what we expected to accomplish and whether we actually accomplished it.
Homelessness Has Many Causes
There is no single cause of homelessness and no single solution. Housing affordability matters, but so do mental health, addictions, income, employment and the availability of appropriate supports. We need to have systems in place that are transparent and easier to navigate through.
Triage is important, but so is the overall growth of our economy. Jobs, opportunity and a stronger local economy can be part of the pathway out of homelessness.
As Mayor, I will push for a coordinated approach that measures outcomes, not just activity.
We should publicly track how many people move into stable housing, how many remain housed after six and twelve months, how many return to homelessness, how long people wait for services and what each durable outcome costs.
If something is working, we should do more of it. If it is not working, we need to be willing to change it. And as civic leaders be prepared to report success and failure openly and transparently.
I am not promising that homelessness will disappear overnight.
I am promising that, as Mayor, I will make sure we can clearly see whether what we are doing is actually making a difference.
That is the kind of accountability I believe Chatham-Kent deserves.
— Randy Hope