Health and Housing Town Hall Meeting

[nstn]

A number of health and housing groups are planning a Town Hall meeting for candidates in September on health and housing issues in Kingston.

The guest speaker will highlight the strong linkages between adequate housing and good health for residents of our community. As health expenditures rise dramatically we are beginning to better understand the importance of stable, affordable housing in reducing our long term health costs.

An opportunity will be given during the meeting for both candidate responses to these issues and questions from the audience.

Details of the Town Hall meeting will be publicized in late August and early September.

[Phil Day]

please post a sumary of the meeting.

[macphail]

This wouldn't happen to also include an "exercise" or "game" related to homelessness by chance, would it?

Cheers, Derek

[nstn]

The initial plans for the Town Hall meeting include a presenter on health and housing issues, a panel and moderator but no games!

More details will be available later this month.

[Lydia]

Just checking at this town hall meeting, will there be people speaking regarding how to solve the problem of getting a family doctor.

I have noticed that when you call the Academy of Medicine to find out when the next class of doctors graduate. The message is "No Family Doctors are taking patients". It seems that this is the standard message because it was the same one three or even more years ago.

My questions are:
1 If we can not have family doctors looking after us, WHY are we educating more of them only to go to the States or other parts of the world.

2. When a doctor moves or takes another position, why is it not mandatory that his patients be ASSIGNED another doctor. Why are the people left to try to find another one, only to get the "No Family Doctor taking patients."

[nstn]

The public Town Hall meeting on"Housing is a Health Issue" will be held Thursday, September 25th between 6:30 - 9:00 pm at Memorial Hall, in City Hall, 216 Ontario Street.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt from “An Integrated Team Approach to Primary Care for the Homeless: A Kingston Demonstration Project”

Homelessness in Kingston

Homelessness is defined by the United Nations as “absolute” when persons are unsheltered or sleep in places not intended for habitation, or “relative”, when individuals have shelter which fails to meet basic standards of health and safety. This definition will under-estimate the magnitude of the problem since, first, it does not capture persons transiently living with others (“couch surfers”) and, second, it is well documented that persons spending 50% or more of their income on housing are at greatly enhanced risk of imminent homelessness.

In Canada tens of thousands of persons are said to be homeless, with 20 to 40 % chronically without a home. While the demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity) of this population varies by venue, there is a consensus about two issues. First, the number of homeless persons increased during the 1990s and continues to do so. For example, shelter use in Toronto doubled from 1994 to 1996. Increased use of crisis housing, food banks, and waiting lists for social housing all attest to a growing problem in Ontario. Second, the proportion of shelter users who are women, youth, or families is increasing.

As elsewhere in Ontario, while Kingston faces a growing problem of homelessness, the exact magnitude is uncertain. However, in addition to the anecdotal evidence supplied by health care and social service workers, there are reliable proxy measures by which to gain an appreciation of the number of homeless. First, there has been a dramatic increase in shelter use. In Kingston the number of users increased by 62% over a three-year period), a figure which places the region well ahead of many other municipalities in Ontario). Emergency shelter stays purchased through Ontario Works Kingston increased from a monthly average of 532 in 2000 to 868 in 2002. In the first 3 months of 2003 this figure was 1204, compared to an average of 659 for the same time period in the preceding 3 years. Second, Kingston has a higher proportion of its population sending more than 30% of income on rent than does Toronto. This cut-off is defined as the limit of affordability by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Further, Kingston has a low rental vacancy rate (<5%) and, since 1998, has lost 35% of the private rent supplements units that were available in 1993. Finally, those diagnosed with a mental illness have a tendency to migrate to locations such as Kingston offering specialty services and persons released from the area’s 8 prisons also contribute to this marginally-housed population.

[Lydia]

Thanks for let us know about the meeting on this month on the 25 of September.

I think it should prove to be very interesting. I thought the write up was very informative.

[nstn]

All three major provincial election candidates have confimed their attendance for the Town Hall meeting on health and housing issues on Thursday September 25th.

Paul Schliesmann of the Whig-Standard will be the Town Hall moderator

The special guest speaker will be Dr. Dennis Raphael of the School of Health Policy and Management, York University.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Backgrounder:

"Federal health spending must include housing and childcare, declare 450 health professionals

TORONTO, February 11, 2003 -- Leading health policy experts, community representatives and health researchers from across Canada have ratified the Toronto Charter for a Healthy Canada. Citing mounting evidence that the root sources of health and the causes of illness are social and economic, they urge funding for social housing and childcare and the creation of a Task Force to oversee Canadian progress on population health.

"It must be time to provide safe, affordable housing and quality childcare to Canadian families" says the Charter’s author, Dr. Dennis Raphael. "No longer can we expect spending on illness care to bring us better health; it is time to get our basics right," Dr. Raphael concludes, joining forces with more than 400 others to declare the need for national housing and childcare programs.

In response to the new Health Accord, the group decries the ongoing failure of both levels of government to recognize the social and economic causes of ill health. "Today, we know much more clearly that good health is connected to social policy spending. Unfortunately, the Health Accord ignores this reality and it fails to ensure that Canadians are healthy enough to lower their needs for medical attention" says Dr. Raphael. "On the bright side, we want the new national health council to include a task force that will focus on these population health issues" Dr. Raphael says optimistically.

If Prime Minister Chretien is to deliver on his promise for social justice, it is time to put federal spending and incentives for the provinces to develop comprehensive housing and childcare systems.

The Toronto Charter recommends that Canada’s federal and provincial/territorial governments immediately address the sources of health and the root causes of illness by matching the $1.5 billion agreed to in the Health Accord for the Diagnostic/Medical Equipment Fund and allocating this amount towards two essential determinants of health for children and families: 1) affordable, safe housing; and 2) a universal system of high quality educational childcare.

The signatories further address the need for the federal government to establish a Social Determinants of Health Task Force to consider the full body of conference findings and work to address the issues raised at this conference. The Task Force would operate to identify and advocate for policies by all levels of government to support population health. The federal and provincial governments would respond to these recommendations in a formal manner through annual reports on the status of these social determinants of health.

The Charter is included with this press release and can also be found at: http://www.atkinson.yorku.ca/SHPM/torontoCharter.pdf

-30-

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Dennis Raphael Ann Curry-Stevens
School of Health Policy and Management Communications Coordinator
Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies Centre for Social Justice
416-736-2100, ext. 22134 416-691-9454


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Additional Background:

From November 29 to December 1, 2002 a conference of over 400 Canadian social and health policy experts, community representatives, and health researchers met at York University in Toronto, Canada to: a) consider the state of ten key social determinants of health across Canada; b) explore the implications of these conditions for the health of Canadians; and c) outline policy directions to improve the health of Canadians by influencing the quality of these determinants of health. The conference took place at a time when Canadian social and health policies were undergoing profound changes related to shifting political, economic, and social conditions.

The following are the foundations of the conference findings:

Whereas the evidence is overwhelming that the health of Canadians is profoundly affected by the social and economic determinants of health, including – but not restricted to – early life, education, employment and working conditions, food security, health care services, housing, income and its distribution, social exclusion, the social safety net, and unemployment and employment security; and

Whereas the evidence presented at the conference clearly indicates that the state and quality of these key determinants of health are linked to Canada’s political, economic and social environments and that many governments across Canada have not responded adequately to the growing threats to the health of Canadians in general, and the most vulnerable in particular; and

Whereas these social determinants of health are also human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which Canada is obliged to protect and promote; and

Whereas the evidence presented indicates that investments in the basic social determinants of health will profoundly improve the health of Canadians most exposed to health threatening conditions – the poor, the marginalized, and those Canadians excluded from participation in aspects of Canadian society by virtue of their living conditions – therefore providing health benefits for all Canadians."

http://www.yorku.ca/ycom/release/archive/021103-2.htm

[nstn]

The Kingston Health and Housing Coalition has confirmed the following final details on its Town Hall forum on

Housing is a Health Issue

September 25th from 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Memorial Hall at Kingston City Hall

Candidates from all four provincial parties have confirmed their attendance.

Guest Speaker: Dennis Raphael, PhD
School of Health Policy & Management, York University

Moderator: Paul Schliesmann
Editor, Kingston Whig Standard

Outline:

~ Brief Presentation by Dr. Dennis Raphael

~ Provincial Party Candidates' responses

~ Questions from the floor

Come out and meet your provincial candidates to hear what they have to say about health and housing.

"The impact of housing on health cannot be overemphasized. Enabling people to obtain a safe, secure place to live can have far reaching health implications, from the environmental effects contributing to the control of asthma to mental health and well being." (see www.health.state.mn.us/strategies/social.pdf)

Kingston Health and Housing Coalition Partners include:

Frontenac Community Mental Health Services, Home Base Housing, Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston General Hospital, Kingston Youth Shelter, North Kingston Community Health Centre, Queen’s Family Medicine, Ryandale Shelter for the Homeless, Street Health Centre, Kingston Not-for-Profit Housing Association (KNPHA)

For more information please contact:

Cathy Cleary
North Kingston Community Health Centre
400 Elliott Ave, Kingston Ontario
613-542-2949 extension 121

cathyc@nkchc.com

[bill]

I am sorry, but why are we discussing where the Provincial candidates will be.............KINGSTON ELECTORS.....not.....PROVINCIAL ELECTORS...........By the way NSTN, I got a question for you...........who are you? Do you work for the city? I believe many of us here would like to know

[nstn]

Originally posted by bill
...why are we discussing where the Provincial candidates will be..

The City of Kingston currently has extensive responsibilities for housing across our community as a result of Federal and Provincial downloading. Kingston also administers building code, property standards and Official Plan and zoning legislation and by-laws which affect the quantity and quality of housing in our community.

The Town Hall meeting will begin to show how the various threads of housing and health are closely tied together both here in Kingston and across Canada. Poor housing for Kingstonians has a direct effect on their health. It also is the source of additional costs to our health care system.

Many of the questions to the provincial candidates will be about the urban housing policy positions of their parties. These are playing a growing role in policy, administrative and financial issues within the Corporation of the City of Kingston.

Perhaps we should describe housing and health as cross over issues. They affect us municipally, provincially and federally.

Good housing is like good water. You do not always see the problems associated with the lack of either of them until they are unavailable.


[PS I definitely do not work for the City of Kingston. But I am interested in the whole set of issues we are discussing in these forums]

[Lydia]

Perhaps we should describe housing and health as cross over issues. They affect us municipally, provincially and federally.

Good housing is like good water. You do not always see the problems associated with the lack of either of them until they are unavailable

Nstn You are soooo correct with your response it isn't funny.

As a tax payer, I so ticked off that people seem to think we are stupid.

I have ONLY so much money. When I pay my TAXES (municipal, provincial, federal) my purse some how does not KNOW where they money for my taxes are going. ALL IT KNOWS IS THAT THE TAX MONEY GOES.

We somehow choose to FORGET that we DO NOT need the same service to be provided by all 3 levels and thereby paying all levels for the same ONE service. Maybe it would be fiscially responsable government to tell the people EXACTLY which branch of government is RESPONSIBLE for what service. If it is a Municipal issue then the taxes for that issue should never go to the province or nation.

Lets see, they want us to be user-pay, well i am in favour of that as long as user-pay applies to the municipal, provincial and federal branches of government. Lets get them to be user-friendly when they COLLECT our taxes.