An effective plan to permanently reduce homelessness and crime plaguing our community

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Crime and homelessness have undeniably become a significant challenge for the City of Winnipeg. Plausible, permanent solutions, however, have been juggled around, without any lasting benefits. What is the root cause of crime and homelessness plaguing our community?

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According to Peter McMullen, Director of Lighthouse Mission, a local charity servicing the less fortunate for more than 100 years on Main Street in Winnipeg, the answer to that question is simple: Addiction, mental health, and the lack of resources to support the transition of those plagued by it.

Lighthouse Mission has created an effective plan to generate sustainable results: An increase in detox beds accompanied by a detox recovery model that supports the individual every step of the way.

This initiative has the potential to help up to 100 individuals each year move from struggling with homelessness and addiction, to effective addictions treatment programming.

“It’s not always just about the soup and sandwich, it’s about a personal connection,” McMullen said in an interview with The Sun on Wednesday. “First of all, we saw the need for people to have a new life, and secondly, the need for detox beds in Winnipeg.”

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Lighthouse Mission has been working at the frontlines, continuously tailoring their services to the needs of the community.

“The majority of the people we serve at Lighthouse Mission are struggling with addiction, in one form or another,” McMullen explained.

“Since COVID, things have dramatically changed. The amount of folks we serve and the amount of food that we provide has all gone up consistently.

“We serve up to 700 hot meals a day and up to 1,000 cups of coffee a day. It used to be that when we prepared soup for the day, oftentimes we wouldn’t go through it all. We used to serve 350 sandwiches a day, (leftovers) we put in the fridge for the next day, but now we’re doing over 500 sandwiches a day. We go through those sometimes as quickly as an hour.”

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When discussing the relationship between the dramatic increase in the cost of living and those in need of a meal or common household items provided by Lighthouse Mission, McMullen expressed his concern: “The shame that people have of having to ask for help, that’s since COVID, has become a reality,” McMullen said. “More people are needing help… I don’t know how many I’ve seen in the last two weeks, they walk in, they clearly are new to the street.

“Everything’s gotten more expensive and it started to affect people. Folks that were normally making it paycheck to paycheck, or slightly above, aren’t anymore.”

Now more than ever, individuals and families struggle to purchase necessities, let alone the additional cost of a drug or alcohol addiction. If individuals are struggling more than ever to make ends meet, yet addiction is on the rise, the conclusion is shattering: An increase in crime and homelessness.

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McMullen shared his view on the matter through a sobering example: “One guy that I know, he didn’t have a job, but his meth addiction was costing him $200 to $250 dollars a day. He had zero income, but he managed to sustain his addiction.

“That’s just to give you an idea that people can do their own math. Where’s that money coming from?”

Over the last several years, drugs and their availability have been subject to a vast influx, resulting in men and women displaying erratic, violent, and so-called “zombie” behaviour — a typical sight on city streets and social media.

“Drugs have dramatically changed,” McMullen said. “I think everybody in Winnipeg has noticed, if they drive through, the erratic behavior… but right now with meth, and the combination of other drugs, it’s unbelievable the level of addiction and overdoses we’re experiencing.”

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It’s not uncommon for us to distribute Naloxone (a fast-acting medication used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid overdoses) to folks right in front of our building once a week, or once every other week. They’ve stopped breathing and we call 9-1-1.”

McMullen shared an obvious observation many Winnipeggers share, “People will look at this and say, ‘how on earth can this be helped?’”

We’ve all witnessed the increase in violence in public areas such as restaurants, shops and transit. Violent outbursts are only one facet of the ever-changing landscape revolving around addiction. Another result of addiction is the astounding rate of homelessness.

The NDP government has been making housing available to help those struggling with homelessness. If addiction isn’t properly addressed, however, additional housing becomes a Band-aid — a temporary solution or revolving door for those struggling with addiction — resulting in the poor use of taxpayers’ dollars and maintaining the increase in violence and crime.

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“The first thing that anybody needs in their life is stability,” McMullen explained. “They need to be healthy, they need to feel healthy, and they need to feel that they’re supported. If we don’t deal with the addiction, how can anyone live independently? I believe we are going to have the same problems.

“You can’t just take somebody who’s struggling deep in addiction and put them in a house and expect that that’s going to change,” McMullen said. “They probably won’t be able to stay in that new housing for very long… they’re not going to be able to take care of themselves as they’re struggling with addiction.”

Providing housing offers sustainable results, however it must be preceded by the rectification of the root problem — addiction. “In serving our community, we recognized that there is a desire for people to not be struggling with addiction, to get a new beginning in life,” McMullen said. “When they come in, we connect with them. We ask them whether they need assistance in accessing some housing programs. In many cases, they want to get addictions treatment.”

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McMullen began to explain the obvious disruption, “As we are successfully getting people applied to and accepted into programs, the next required step is detox. There might be a 70-80 person waiting list to access those detox beds. So people who are struggling with addiction and are on the street and want a new beginning are not able to get that opportunity.

“The whole aspect of caring for an individual through the entire process, you can call it the ‘soft handoff’,” McMullen explained. “We walk the person through each step. There needs to be more than just helping someone from the crisis state of intoxication to feeling good. There needs to be a next step towards becoming whole, towards meaningful programs, and long-term healing. We want to help them to that next step.”

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If this guided transition isn’t put into practice, individuals in rehabilitation tend to relapse into their old habits.

“No matter how small the crack is, somebody will fall through it.”

When discussing their take on the correct approach when conquering addiction, McMullen emphasized the need to broaden the outlook of the person amidst the struggle. “When you’re lost in addiction, understanding how your life can change is limited.”

The process involves the support of a dedicated team with real-life experience taking the time to introduce them to others who are currently going through the same detox program. This gives individuals hope that they too can change.
Without that support and follow-through, McMullen has noticed a pattern: “If you’re trying to help someone with an application and we ask for more information, they’ll say, ‘sure,’ and then they’ll disappear and never complete the process.”

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The lack of timely access when it comes to addiction programs continues to translate into our community. “Because they don’t know what the next step is, those individuals may end up back in that detox three months, six months from that time.” Thus not having a true impact on addiction, homelessness and crime in the city of Winnipeg.

Lighthouse Mission has seen several miracles over the years when it comes to funding and contributions, including the purchase of the building across the street for a mere dollar in 2023 from former Our Place/Chez Nous. They’ve never missed a beat.

Renovations to accommodate the detox beds at the 100-year-old heritage buildings were fully funded, however, inflation has produced a significant deficit of a predicted $600-700K.

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Lighthouse Mission is also working towards changing the current programs offered and hiring additional staff. “As the renovations are going, we’re developing our detox program, which means Lighthouse, which only has six employees, is likely going to double the amount of staff,” McMullen explained. “We are going to be running, not just the soup kitchen program, but also a new detox program. One to help people with the basic needs and one to help people with long-term solutions.

“We’re reaching out to the government. We have come together with our own initiative, our own solutions, and a number of dedicated individuals who have deeply cared for this community for a number of years,” McMullen said.

“We believe that we have a model and that is going to work. Whether or not the provincial government is going to come forward and support our program remains unknown.”

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Once Lighthouse Mission’s project is up and running, they believe they can significantly change the landscape of downtown Winnipeg.

Local businesses can support Lighthouse Mission. “We’re seeking out corporate partnerships, individual partnerships through corporations and companies to come in and help us fund what we would consider, not a Lighthouse Mission project, but a community project.”

Lighthouse Mission has established a strategy in working with business and corporate partners and individuals of the community wanting to help fund their initiative. They are encouraged to reach out to Peter McMullen personally via email at peter@lighthousemission.ca.

Providing hope and structured support to those struggling with addiction is without a doubt an important facet of making Winnipeg a safe and healthy community.

McMullen couldn’t have said it better, “Hope is the single most important piece, without it, people will continue to struggle in addiction because it’s the thing that helps them hurt less.”

— Amanda Beakes is a reporter and the Assistant Editor for the Winnipeg Sun.

Have thoughts on what’s going on in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada or across the world? Send us a letter to the editor at wpgsun.letters@kleinmedia.ca

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