It’s not well known, but North Bay has well more than 300 homeless people and the number continues to grow.
Katherine Sarazin, the President of the Indigenous Friendship Centre, says most in this group are Indigenous but some are also non-First Nation.
Sarazin says the Friendship Centre has two employees working constantly to find shelter for the homeless.
“They don’t have a home, they’re couch surfing or are in danger of being homeless,” Sarazin said.
“Also it’s not just individuals. It’s families as well.”
Sarazin says homelessness is not new to North Bay.
It’s been present for years and only by continually talking about it can the social issue be defeated.
Sarazin says at the present time the Friendship Centre is working on a 30-unit complex to help the homeless.
However it can’t move forward on the project until its gets funding approval from Ontario Aboriginal Housing.
Sarazin says the employees dedicated to finding shelter for the homeless are in constant contact with landlords and hotels even if it’s to provide only an overnight stay.
She says people with mental health issues who fall into this group also have a very difficult time finding a home.
However the workers preserve and sometimes they get a success story.
“We had one client who was not accepted anywhere in the city because he had burnt bridges so to speak,” Sarazin said.
“This person now has been housed for six months in the same place with the help of our workers.”