‘Poor sleep, constant discomfort and the daily stress of surviving in extreme heat can severely affect a person’s mental well-being,’ say Lighthouse officials.
These columns are written by staff from The Lighthouse to help the community better understand people experiencing homelessness and those who support them. This column appears every other Monday.
For many people, summer brings a welcome change of pace. Kids are out of school, some people are going on vacations, and the warm weather means everyone is spending more time outdoors.
At The Lighthouse, we’re often asked the question of how the summer season impacts our services. The truth is, while summer offers relief from cold weather, it brings its own set of challenges.
As the weather warms, homelessness in our community becomes more visible. People who are staying in encampments are more active out in public spaces. This increased visibility can also heighten the stigma around homelessness. Complaints from the public tend to rise, and sometimes this leads to forced displacements, removing people from encampments without viable housing solutions or from sidewalks without other places for them to go.
In the City of Orillia, we must continue to face the reality that our community includes people who are experiencing homelessness with nowhere else to go. It’s not about politics or appearances. It’s about people — people who have no other place to go and who deserve safety, dignity and compassion.
While we often focus on the challenges cold weather causes for people who are experiencing homelessness or living outside, the warm weather can also introduce serious safety risks. High temperatures increase the risk of heat exhaustion, heat stroke and dehydration. Prolonged exposure to heat can also worsen existing health problems, including many of the chronic illnesses people who are experiencing homelessness often face.
Mental health challenges can also become more difficult during the summer. Poor sleep, constant discomfort and the daily stress of surviving in extreme heat can severely affect a person’s mental well-being.
In addition to serving the 78 people who are sheltered in The Lighthouse’s emergency shelter and supportive housing facilities on Queen Street East each night, The Lighthouse’s outreach workers have been hard at work providing water and sunscreen and checking in with people who are experiencing homelessness in our community. While outreach services include supporting steps toward housing, providing basic necessities takes priority to ensure people are healthy and safe.
The City of Orillia also supports the community by offering cooling centres during business hours. Information about the city’s cooling centres can be found on its website. While this is a critical resource that provides temporary relief, more is always needed.
The long-term solution to protecting people from the summer heat lies in addressing the root causes of homelessness. Increasing supportive affordable housing availability and addressing economic insecurity must be part of systemic solutions. These aren’t easy or quick problems to solve, but we believe they are solvable if we continue to work together and advocate as a community.
While the summer heat can be uncomfortable for many of us, for people without housing or other resources, it has a major impact. At The Lighthouse, we are committed to supporting our community with awareness, compassion and continued action to ensure everyone has the safety and dignity they deserve throughout this summer and all year.
Linda Goodall is the former executive director at The Lighthouse. Fur further information contact Dale Rowe, Executive Director at dale@Orillialighthouse.ca.
Rosemary Petersen is the managing director at The Lighthouse and can be reached at rosemary@orillialighthouse.ca.