The Georgia Straight highlights the Pathways Information Centre squeeze; the DTES need for basic information, information technology and respectful assistance, and the plans of the Ministry of Social Development for 73 standardized WorkBC Employment Service Centres around the province.
With no alternative funding for specialized services to the homeless and the poor in the inner-city, Pathways celebrated 9 years of community service with its closure Friday.
Pathways closure noted in Metro News. The needs of those living in poverty are discounted in favour of Province-wide ‘efficient service delivery’; WorkBC employment Service Centres.
Pathways Information Centre, a feature at Main and Hastings for 9 years, closes March 30th. Ministry of Social Development funding has been withdrawn and committed to a new provincial ‘Service Delivery Model’ for employment services. Pathways is one of several specialized services in the DTES that are closing. Tradeworks Training Society, the project sponsor, and other agencies in the DTES are concerned that many people will now ‘fall through the cracks’ – with increased wasteful demands on police, healthcare, and justice systems.
“Pathways was intentionally located at the hub of the community as a convenient place for people to access information and for people to be referred to community resources suitable to their needs,” said Ross Gentleman, Executive Director, Tradeworks Training Society. “We referred people to a variety of services – related to housing, employment, health, substance abuse, mental health, and more. It was not only an employment resource centre, because the neighbourhood needed more.”
“The neighbourhood has a high concentration of people who are poor, disabled and in transition. They need more support than a conventional employment centre offers.”
A new WorkBC Employment Service Centre is to open Monday April 2nd on West Hastings Street. Mr. Gentleman noted that the new contractor was also concerned that the demands of local residents may exceed the capacity of the new centre.
Pathways was created 10 years ago to make it easier for people to find the services and agencies that they needed. It was a low-barrier access point and enrolled @3000 new people each year. Approximately 250 people visited the centre daily, over 60% of these members were homeless. For many employment may be a goal only after other issues are addressed.
“The neighbourhood is a place to which people retreat when they are in distress; often it is the result of a workplace injury, job loss, family breakdown, or something similar. The population is only 15,000, yet we see almost 3000 new people each year. That is a reflection of the need down here.”
“We know we have helped many people take control of their lives by treating them respectfully, connecting them to the community, and helping them navigate bureaucracies. We are proud of our contribution to the DTES over the last 9 years.”
400 people attended the event March 30th to celebrate Pathways’ contribution to the community.
The new Employment Program for BC, scheduled to be implemented April 2, 2012, will leave many not served, especially in the inner-city. Several existing services, previously supoported as employment services, will be closing. Pathways Information Centre is an important community resource, providing access to basic resources, referrals to community services, and connections to employment. Alternative funding after April 2012 is not yet in place.
Withdrawal of our funding by the Ministry of Social Development has prompted several media pieces and the Bill Good Show was one of the best. Subsequent coverage on CBC Radio, the Globe and Mail and the Vancouver Courier has been great.
Tradeworks Training Society met with the Minister in November but neither the Ministry nor other arms of government have stepped up. The Downtown East Side is a neighbourhood to which people retreat when they hit hard times. But they need help getting back on the feet. Pathways, a low barrier, easy access resource centre at Main & Hastings and the centre sees @3000 new members each year. The government’s planned ‘Employment Service Centre’ anticipates only serving @500 higher needs job seekers each year. Where will the other people go?
The Globe and Mail (Saturday January 7th) featured the story of one person who has been a member of Pathways Information Centre, Perry Joyce. Perry’s own story is similar to many; he lost his job, migrated to Vancouver and found himself in the inner-city. Finding work proved difficult. And so did accessing community services, housing, and building a network of friends, until he found Pathways.
What is not stated directly enough, is that the number of people in the inner-city struggling to ‘attach to the workforce’ is huge. And the government’s plan for employment services does not serve the population well.
10,000 people live in ‘low income households’ in the DTES. Pathways, a low-barrier access point and referral centre, registers @3,000 new members each year. Pathways has, for 9 years, worked to address the needs of the DTES by connecting people to community services when they need them. Daily 200-250 people stop in to use the computers, talk to counselors. The Ministry of Social Development’s new streamlined Employment Service Centre is supposed to replace Pathways and several other existing services on April 1, 2012. The new proposed Employment Service Centre, for the much larger ‘catchment area’ (Nanaimo to Richards), anticipates serving only 500 high needs job seekers annually.
Put simply, where do the other unemployed and under-employed people in the DTES go?
You are currently browsing the archives for the Pathways category.
