Eric Godmaire knew he wanted a change in his life. He didn't expect such a "drastic positive change" to unfold over the last 365 days.
Last year, he lost his job because of COVID-19. Public health rules had people staying at home, putting even more pressure on his relationship with his girlfriend as they were in the midst of a breakup. With their place flooding, he said they had nowhere to go.
A year ago, Nathan Chappell was released from jail in Monteith.
He spent some nights at Living Space, a lot of times staying up all night because the beds were full.
A year later, Godmaire and Chappell's stories are very different.
Godmaire has secured work and is living in a two-bedroom apartment. Chappell is living in a comfortable space that's helping him stay on track.
They are two of 28 people who secured permanent housing through the Housing Now program last summer.
When COVID-19 took its hold last winter, more than 50 people were being supported each night at Living Space's Cedar Street shelter and the overflow beds at the Timmins Native Friendship Centre, according to Jason Sereda, Living Space executive director.
Public health measures to enforce physical distancing lowered the bed capacity to 15 at the Cedar Street site.
Needing alternate spaces for people to stay, a deal was brokered between the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB) and Northern College. It allowed Living Space to use vacant student residences at the college, and maintain 15 beds at the main shelter. In early April, the McIntyre Curling Club became the primary temporary space for the emergency shelter.
"The “Housing Now project” started in May with the goal to rapidly house the 30 people living at the college into permanent housing in under 70 days prior to the closure of the Northern site at the end of July," said Sereda.
By the end of July, 28 of the 30 people taking part in the program had secured permanent housing. By the end of 2020, the program had helped more than 50 people move into permanent housing. From May to December, Sereda said less than five of those people returned to homelessness.
“It’s like everybody through the Housing Now program, we got housed and we all got provided with the same stuff,” Godmaire said, listing items such as a couch and kitchen table. He was also provided with a cell phone.
Once getting into the Housing Now program, he ran with it.
The program hooked him up with a bachelor's apartment near Porcupine Lake.
"Because I secured employment I have an even better apartment now. I was able to upgrade my apartment, now I have a huge two-bedroom,” he boasted.
Godmaire, 37, was a diamond driller for most of his life. Today, he's doing maintenance and gets to help people.
“I don’t make close to that amount of money but now I don’t use and now I get to give back … I’ve been helped so much and helping out other people in similar situations, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.
Around the age of 20, he found himself homeless. In Timmins at that time, he said, the Good Samaritan was the only option and he ended up getting banned.
“Then you’re forced to kind of commit crimes and stuff sometimes just to find a place to sleep,” he said.
There are a lot more resources available in the city now.
“All you have to do is ask for it pretty much. Even if you don’t know how to go about it, there are people here who will navigate you through it … they’ve helped me with so much stuff,” he said.
Coming from London, Ont., Chappell is thankful for all of the help available locally.
The 31-year-old has been on his own since he was 15.
He left London last year and headed to Timmins on a whim.
“I was sick of London .. I’m trying to do well but I always went back to selling drugs and stuff and just going into that kind of lifestyle. But I got sick of it so I kind of stole a car and just drove and I ended up getting caught here in Cochrane," he said.
After being released from jail, he was a guest at Living Space. Then, he said, the Housing Now opportunity popped up out of nowhere.
Chappell moved into a two-bedroom apartment in South Porcupine with his friend Ashley.
“I just got released with absolutely nothing and I just kind of went with the flow and it’s just been really good, to be honest. The people here take care of us unbelievably, they gave us this apartment with furniture — they gave us a bed, a couch, a dining table, a whole bunch of kitchen supplies, food boxes come every once or twice a month and then there’s the food bank,” he said.
On the street, he explained, people are stressed worrying about where they're going to eat or sleep. Having a roof over his head is a boost in the right direction, he said.
“Now that we have … housing, like, this is your apartment. It takes a lot of stress off to the point where I could maybe go to school or get a job or start becoming successful,” Chappell said.
A year ago, he expected to have an apartment by this point. This past year has secured more than just a place to stay, though.
The friend he moved in with is now his girlfriend, he's talking to a doctor regularly and is on methadone.
He said he's been an alcoholic and selling or using drugs his whole life.
“Even having this house I can control it. It’s not like living with someone who is an addict, I’ve been clean now for four, five months now,” he said.
The original Housing Now working group included Living Space, CDSSAB, and the Canadian Mental Health Association. In October, Living Space received additional federal funding to respond to the ongoing pandemic, which was used to build on the success of the program, said Sereda.
Two rapid housing coordinator positions were created at Living Space, and the working group expanded to include Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services, the Timmins Native Friendship Centre, and South Cochrane Addiction Service. The goal is to increase "access and diversity of intensive case management supports for people who had been housed, and therefore helping to prevent a return to homelessness."
"Living Space has built upon the lessons learned through the Housing Now project and the broader pandemic response by integrating coordinated access and shelter diversion processes into the organizations housing-focused intake/service delivery model. This work will be built upon in 2021 to on-board new partners and expand the coordinated access system within Timmins," said Sereda.
So far this year, the housing coordinators have helped more than 20 people secure permanent housing.
"Work continues to build upon and refine the Housing Now project and improve the collaboration amongst service partners across diverse sectors. This forms a key part of Living Space’s goal of system development and integration. More information around this systems work will be shared throughout the year as Living Space moves forward on our plans to end chronic homelessness in Timmins," Sereda said.
