Over the past ten years, increasing attention has been paid to the issues of poverty, housing affordability, and unemployment in the City of St. Thomas and Elgin County. In 2004, a Housing Needs Assessment was conducted that resulted in a Housing Strategy. In 2006, the United Way conducted a public engagement initiative to determine the priority issues and Youth were identified as the top priority across the area. In 2009, a Study on Homelessness was conducted to assess the need for homelessness programs and services in St. Thomas and Elgin County. A year later, the first shelter, Inn Out of the Cold, was opened in St. Thomas. In 2012, the Community Council for Children and Youth of Elgin (CCCYE) issued an RFP to conduct a study focused on youth homelessness.
Report