A strategy is underway in Leamington to address homelessness.
Alissa Enns is the Project Leader for the Leamington Homelessness Project.
Enns says a major barrier in securing funding for programming is a lack of data on just how many people are experiencing homelessness in the county.
The group has already surveyed close to 50 people in Leamington experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity or precarious housing and will continue to gather data in an effort to shine a light on the issue.
Enns says the need for more affordable housing extends to the county as well.
"We do have a lack of affordable rental housing in our area, particularly in the county," says Enns. "In fact, the data from 2019 tells us that we would need almost 13,000 new affordable rental units by 2028 to fill the current affordable housing gap."
She says, for many, a couple of bad breaks can result in them losing their home.
"This can be things like eviction, the affordable housing crisis, family breakdown, domestic violence or instances of abuse, loss of employment or coping with mental illness or addictions which can make it difficult to maintain independent housing," she says.
Enns says most supports are located in the city, but those in the county can't get there.
"The inaccessibility of transportation to and from the city adds another barrier to accessing homeless services and shelter," says Enns. "With jobs or school all being located in the county, to expect someone to move 45 minutes away from home to seek shelter in the city just doesn't make much sense."
Enns says "hidden homeless" are the most common in the county — that's those "couch surfing" or staying with friends.
The group plans to compile its survey data and bring a report before Essex County Council in August.