This Ontario man took in a homeless acquaintance — and found out just how hard it is to find help

When Jason Hastings opened up the doors of his 1,000-square foot home to an old childhood acquaintance who had been sleeping rough in a London, Ont., park, Hastings didn't anticipate he'd stay for eight weeks.

"We thought it'd be maybe a couple weeks, a series of phone calls and connections to get him in touch with the folks that were able to help," said Hastings, 30, who runs his own residential construction company.

"We've gotten nowhere, so it's really frustrating."

Hastings's simple plan to find him help after a short stay has come up empty. Amid estimates of nearly 2,000 unhoused people in London, his attempts to access aid from numerous organizations has been confusing and frustrating, he said.

In and out of the rain

It began about two months ago when Shawn Mitchell, 25, reached out to Hastings after a rainstorm soaked his tent and his belongings during a stay in Basil Grover Park in the city's south.

He needed help.

"We brought him here for a shower," said Hastings. "We just couldn't put him back. He was just too vulnerable to be on his own with no care so that's how we ended up here."

Mitchell has had a difficult life.

He has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and it's been two years since he's had stable housing. Though he has family in the city, they are unable to provide him with a suitable home, said Mitchell.

It's unconscionable to me that somebody with the challenges that Shawn has can't easily access social services.- Rev. Kevin George, St. Aidan's Anglican Church

"I've been kicked out a lot of places because of my anger and stuff. And I got a disability," he said.

Mitchell is on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and receives about $700 a month.

The stay has not been easy.

"For us to bring in a man I've never met — my husband knows him, but I didn't know him — that was scary for me with my 11-month-old baby and making sure that she stays safe and that our house is safe," said Hastings's wife, Alex, 32.

"I didn't realize how many developmental issues he really did have."

"It's been a challenge," said Jason. "My wife has taken a lot of it on. She's here during the day with the baby and she's helping Shawn remember hygiene, medication, meals, cleaning, laundry."

A week off work, to no avail

Recent estimates from the City of London peg the number of unhoused people at close to 1,900. The city is proceeding with a plan, funded in part by a $25-million anonymous donation, to build what it calls a "people-centred, housing-centric" approach that takes into account input from hundreds of people from dozens of organizations, including the police, poverty activists, homeless relief agencies and the people living on the streets themselves. 

It's part of the reason the Hastings thought it would be easier to find a place for Mitchell to live with social supports.

"It's all quite confusing as well," said Jason. "I took a week off work to try to navigate this and my head was spinning with all the different people transferring me, referring me to other people."

Jason reached out to a variety of social agencies including Developmental Services Ontario, London Cares, Community Living London, ODSP, 519 Pursuit and Community Services Coordination Network, he said.

He made little headway.

The system is almost unnavigable, said Rev. Kevin George of St. Aidan's Anglican Church, which has been helping Mitchell.

"It's unconscionable to me that somebody with the challenges that Shawn has can't easily access social services.

"Our hope is that if we can get some word out there, that somebody in the system will hear Shawn's story and do something," he said.

Time's up

But now, because Hastings and his wife are selling their house and moving to neighbouring Strathroy, Mitchell's time with the Hastings is up.

On Tuesday, Mitchell moved to a hotel room, paid for by members of the church, which he has been attending with the Hastings.

"The church committed that we would do all that we could to support him in his life," said George. "We're putting him up in a hotel for now, but that's an emergency measure for the minute."

The congregation is paying for a week-long stay.

Mitchell is thankful for the Hastings and for his new church community, and is hopeful he'll find a solution during his one-week hotel stay.

"Hopefully get a place and get back on my feet," he said.