New York Legal Assistance Group’s Post

🚨Breaking News: Today is the launch of the Human Rights-Based, Gender-Sensitive Standards for Emergency Shelters across Canada! These Standards were developed to support emergency shelters in delivering services using a rights-based and gender-sensitive approach. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gieaDRzC #NationalHousingStrategy #right2housing #IndigenousRights #cdnpoli #housingrights #housingcrisis

At council on Wednesday, I challenged a report on our homelessness and refugee/asylum seekers policy. It is a fact that over the past five years our shelter system has been put under tremendous strain with COVID and our Federal immigration policy exacerbating the challenge. But the solution is not to perpetuate communal shelters across the city, especially non-permanent 'sprung shelters'. Adding communal shelters does not address the root cause and to quote Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, 'it is like managing a flood with a bucket instead of turning off the tap'. This is Ottawa, a winter city and the tens of millions it will cost to invest in tent-like structures would be better spent on factory-built, mass-timber, modular housing. These structures are put together like lego in a factory and then flat bedded to site for construction in weeks. A four-story women's shelter in Waterloo was put up in less than a year... Veterans' House Ottawa greatly enhances the transition out of communal shelters for our former military living rough. Housing first, especially for our most vulnerable. The second reason that I was dissatisfied with this report was the timeline. To define our situation as a crisis and then propose a solution that will not be implemented for more than a year is, simply put, unacceptable. If there is an urgent shortage and the current physical distancing centres either need reinforcing or rotating, then lets implement something non-permanent immediately! Put a sprung shelter on an existing parking lot/large open space this fall. Rotate the off-line recreation centres for winter physical distancing use. And all the while, the city needs to immediately make plans to use currently zoned parcels of city land to construct factory built, modular, mass-timber housing that can then be ready for use for the newcomer welcome centres in winter 2025. This is achievable. This is dignified. This is geography neutral. This is the right thing for us to do and I will continue working towards this. https://lnkd.in/eKMfDN8j

It takes a special kind of xenophobia to change a shelter system from prioritizing based on need to prioritizing based on country of origin. I understand that resources, especially in government-run programs, are extremely strained (I work in the largest safety-net hospital in New England; trust me, I get it). But what I will never understand is how any person, let alone a state leader, uses "I've gotta show Congress how pissed off I am at their failures" as justification for enacting these truly inhumane policies toward the families - and, most especially, children - who have already been through the worst hells available on this side of mortality. Human beings are not political pawns with which to make a point. Shame on you, Governor Healy. If housing, public health and human rights (or all 3!) are of interest to you and you're interested on collaborating on any intervention strategies, please DM. https://lnkd.in/e_RkMWqE.

Let me understand this…Black American Voters voted for a Hispanic Leader who now is placing an Order to remove American Citizens from ALL homes and businesses to replace the Owners, Renters and Employees with replacement people from a totally different country. Meanwhile none of you Linkedin people know anything about the ‘2030 IOM Agenda’ which these actions are called out. None of you Linkedin people know nothing about why migrants passing through a very long country aren’t heading for Cancun, Acapulco, Puert Valarta, Matzatlan, Mexico City or any of the major economic hubs inside of Mexico. None of you non-Hispanic people are aware of Mexicans in Mexico and their government having conversations with Putin on funds to acquire Russian helicopters, planes, submarines to attack the USA or how Mexicans on social media are discussing “how” to overtake California and Texas for their oil, minerals, energy, water properties to control all of the USA. 143M residents in the USA have a TikTok account plus other social media platforms and that’s where the conversations are happening.

The extension of the 60-day rule to families in DHS shelters endangers 30,000+ lives, disrupting vulnerable families. This shortsighted policy destabilizes families on the path to permanent housing and does nothing to address the growing homelessness crisis. As providers on the frontline of this crisis, Win and the NY SANE coalition continue to fight for common sense policies that will get families out of shelter and address this crisis. We urge the city to end the impractical 30- and 60-day rules. https://lnkd.in/eFE4_nHm

Really simple math

💪 Empowering Communities to Combat Human Trafficking We believe in the power of community and the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation. Modern slavery and labour exploitation are pressing issues that affect millions worldwide, including here in New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. Community and church groups play a vital role in this fight. They are often the first point of contact for victims seeking help and support. By intentionally building layers of protection around vulnerable children and young people, we can create a safer environment and prevent exploitation. Join us in our mission to end human trafficking. Support local initiatives, educate yourself and others, and be a beacon of hope for those in need. Together, we can ensure that every child and adult can live free from exploitation. Captain Sammy Millar (Territorial Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Response Contact Person) says "This years theme "leave no child behind in the fight against human trafficking" calls us to consider how we speak with, educate and empower children in the fight against human trafficking. We know that the estimated number of children being trafficked and exploited continues to increase. One of the questions we can ask ourselves is how do I speak to my own children, or the children around me about Trafficking in Persons, so that they can be empowered to make a difference in this world. Captain Missy Ditchburn has created an intergenerational church service that can be used to engage our children in this conversation in an age appropriate way. One action to make a difference could be utilising this material in church on a Sunday." #ModernSlavery #CommunitySupport #TheSalvationArmy #EndExploitation

Thirty and sixty-day limits on shelter are inhumane and harmful to families. With 1,660 new arrivals denied shelter since May, we need transparency from our government to expose how these policies destabilize families and their access to government services, including their children’s schooling. https://lnkd.in/dR-b7-U6

In #Gaza, displacement tents have become tombs instead of shelters. Despite 9 months of relentless efforts of humanitarian organizations advocating for a ceasefire, the tragedy persists, highlighting the urgent need for stronger interventions to ensure the safety and dignity of those fleeing war. All organizations must continue to push for immediate action, transforming temporary refuges into secure, livable spaces. As a global community, we must unite to advocate for stronger protections, increased resources, and long-term support for displaced communities. #Ceasefire Now #HumanitarianAid #Displacement #ConflictResolution #GlobalCommunity