Belleville Tent Encampment
So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’
Luke 15:3-6
I'm pleased to say that I was part of the process to hire Steve Van de Hoef as coordinator of outreach programs at Bridge St, United Church five years ago. Steve was finishing a contract with the Chrisitan Reformed Churches of Canada and we were impressed by his background in research as well as his personal Christian faith.
I retired not long after Steve came on board and through the years since then his role has expanded, notably in conducting enumerations of the homeless in our region, an elusive task when those being sought out, are without a fixed address. Yet it is important as municipalities attempt to provide services, including housing, to those who fly under the radar for the most part.
There are also the prejudices, some of them on full display and others which are more subtle, regarding those who live on the margins of society. There are genuine concerns as well. Homeless encampments can be eyesores and dangerous places for those who live in them. People can feel threatened by the presence of what we used to term vagrants, and businesses sometimes deal with vandalism and theft which affect the bottom line.
Mental health issues and substance abuse can result in unpredictable behaviour in any sphere of society. If we're honest, we are inclined to want marginalized people to be somewhere other than where we are. The truth is that these folk are often invisible until something goes wrong. They live in tents in wooded areas or sleep rough under bridges in this community. Shelters such as Grace Inn can only accomodate a percentage, and some resist going to them.
Earlier this week Steve made a presentation to Belleville city council which demonstrated that homelessness is increasing and that some of the assumptions about those who are homeless in the region have come here from elsewhere are not accurate. This is from the Belleville Intelligencer report on the presentation:
The count found nearly two-thirds of people who were homeless in Belleville had been in the city for a period of six years or longer. About one-quarter “had always been in Belleville, he said.
“There doesn’t appear, through these results, to be that influx of individuals experiencing homelessness into Belleville” after moving to the city from other areas, he said. Respondents reported coming to the city because they had roots or family and friends here, etc. The city is also a hub for social services. Belleville Coun. Tyler Allsopp said the report showed “really conclusively” homelessness is an endemic problem in the city, not an issue caused by migration.
To say otherwise is “a terribly inaccurate suggestion,” Coun. Chris Malette said. He added he gets “quite annoyed” by complaints from people who don’t like seeing homeless people around Bridge Street United, the home of a newly-expanded drop-in centre for people who are homeless. It provides food, showers, laundry facilities and more.
“What better place than a Christian church to get help?” said Malette.“These are ideal places for helping the least fortunate, the least vulnerable in the community, and I commend you for that.”
Indeed. I commend city council and regional governments for the efforts to address this reality in our midst, one which doesn't have easy solutions. And I'm grateful that there is ongoing funding for Steve to do this important work. We can pray for him and others who participate in a variety of ways. Steve is also vitally involved with the meal ministries which happen out of Bridge St UC. While these meal ministries make a difference every day we know that there are broader issues for which we must find solutions.
Steve Van de Hoef
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