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Grimsby Lincoln News

Irene Romagnoli spent a week camped out at Trinity United Church Beamsville to raise awareness about homelessness in Lincoln.

While they were an issue, it wasn’t so much the elements that Irene Romagnoli struggled with during her weeklong encampment to shine a light on homelessness.

It was getting people to pay attention and show they care.

“I would say that 95 per cent of the people that drove by are ignoring me,” said the Trinity United Church Beamsville parishioner who pitched a tent on the front lawn of the church at the corner of King and William streets last week to raise awareness about homelessness in Lincoln.

“I have been attempting to shine an extremely bright light on the poverty and homeless situation that we find in Lincoln, which is rather hidden, but well on its way to becoming the same as in all other places in Ontario,” said Romagnoli, who on Saturday wrapped up her effort to get a feel for what it’s like to be homeless.

“The people who are homeless here are not in your face like they are in major cities, and poverty isn’t something you see until somebody lets you know they are poor.”

During her week outdoors, Romagnoli said she felt cold, wind (her tent collapsed twice forcing her to add a windbreak in the front) and rain just as unhoused people do each day.

“If I had done it at a time where I was going to be comfortable and happy, it wouldn’t have made the same point,” said the 56-year-old. “I’ve learned that it’s lonely, it’s scary, it’s not camping.”

Romagnoli said she stayed warm and dry during the day at Fleming Centre or at a local Tim Hortons coffee shop.

“People are giving me food,” said Romagnoli, who insisted she would not accept anything from anyone who would not offer the same to a homeless person.

“I’m still not getting 100 per cent of the true feeling (of homelessness) because I know in the back of my mind that I can turn around and go in the church or get in my car and go home, and they can’t do that.”

Rev. Jane Capstick, minister at Trinity United Church Beamsville, said it was a “no-brainer” for the church when Romagnoli asked permission to camp out.

“I think Irene’s dedication and willingness to put herself at risk and out in the cold to speak on behalf of the church about homelessness and poverty in our community is admirable,” Capstick said.

“One of the things that Irene has experienced and that this project has revealed is the invisibility of homelessness and our desire to turn away from things that make us uncomfortable; we’re only asking people to look and pay attention and advocate the government for change.”

Romagnoli said the next step in her quest to increase awareness about homelessness in Lincoln will be to hold a public panel discussion involving officials from local government, social services and other service providers on Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m. at Fleming Centre.

“We’re going to highlight a lot of the gaps that are here as well as elsewhere so we can turn around and start putting a plan together to get those gaps addressed,” said Romagnoli, who called on town officials to get involved.

“They need to go to the province and they need to say, ‘Look, we need help,’” said Romagnoli, who also called for increases to Ontario Works and disability pensions and more geared-to-income housing.

Meanwhile, Lincoln Ward 1 (Beamsville) Coun. Adam Russell said he is aware of at least three cases of homelessness in the town earlier this year.

“There are definitely more (homeless in Lincoln), we just don’t have an account of them,” said Russell.

He said part of the former Beamsville Secondary School site, which the town has acquired and will take possession of early next year, or another location could be used as a homeless shelter in conjunction with programs offered by Niagara Region.

“It would be a sizeable investment in terms of staffing and capital costs,” Russel said. “We would have to have other layers of government chip in if we go that route; all options are on the table.”

Mike Kirkopoulos, Lincoln’s chief administrative officer, said much of the town’s unhoused go unreported, but once it is aware of a situation, regional services or agencies such as Community Care of West Niagara and Village of Hope Niagara are brought in to help.

“We have responded to several concerns this year of unsheltered, unhoused encampments,” Kirkopoulos said. “In one case the occupant was determined to be at the hospital and Niagara Assertive Street Outreach (NASO) was provided their information for follow up engagement.”

Kirkopoulos added the town had two reports of an unsheltered male staying behind Sobeys or Tim Hortons, in the Ontario Street and Greenlane Road area but in both cases no encampment was found.

“A third instance was within Hilary Bald Park,” Kirkopoulos said. “However, no encampment was present and no engagement was conducted as no person was located.”

Jeffrey Sinclair, Niagara Region manager of homelessness services, said the municipality’s services are available to people in Lincoln and NASO can be contacted by dialing 211.

“Homelessness prevention services can be accessed by anyone who is housed and at imminent risk of losing their housing,” Sinclair said. “Imminent risk includes those who expect to be unhoused within the next 60 days.”

Sinclair said common reasons for losing housing include rent or utility arrears or “renovictions” — when tenants as displaced by landlords undertaking renovations.

“While the Region does not fund any homeless shelters in Lincoln, people from Lincoln who are experiencing homelessness may access shelter in other communities, such as St. Catharines, Niagara Falls or Welland as appropriate,” Sinclair said. “In total, the Niagara Region currently provides 287 shelter spaces, including spaces for 204 singles and 83 couples and families.”

Sinclair said the shelter system has been running between 92 and 96 per cent full this year.