City in crisis: New data reveals alarming increases in need across London area
Michelle Both | CBC News | Posted: March 8, 2023 4:53 PM | Last Updated: March 8, 2023
Crisis calls for violence against women, mental health and addiction are rising, report finds
A new report shows a clearer picture of just how many vulnerable people in London, Ont., are struggling because of the ongoing impacts of the pandemic.
From increases in crisis calls to rising homelessness, the London Coordinating Committee to End Woman Abuse (LCCEWA) presented its annual snapshot of the city's health and well-being Tuesday at London's Covent Garden Market leading up to International Women's Day, tracking between between April 2021 and March 2022.
The data shows the impacts of isolation and inflation that the community is experiencing — along with a need for more short- and long-term solutions, said Jessie Rodger, executive director of Anova and co-chair of the LCCEWA.
"A lot of us who do this work were sounding the alarm bell as COVID started, that the people who are going to pay the brunt of this are going to be women and women-identified folks, and now we have the stats to show that's true," Rodger said.
"In the recovery of all of this, we're not just thinking about our economy, we're also thinking about the people who were some of the most impacted," they said. "We're going to need to rally together as a community to meet the needs of our community."
The increase in crisis calls and food insecurity is alarming, they said.
LCCEWA Snapshot 2022 highlights:
- 8,244 children's mental health crisis calls, which is a 137 per cent increase from 2020 (Vanier Children's Mental Wellness).
- 27,137 mental health crisis interactions, a 52 per cent increase from 2021 (Canadian Mental Health Association's Reach Out).
- 10,274 domestic and sexual violence crisis calls, a 54 per cent increase from 2021 (Anova, Atlohsa and Women's Rural Resource Centre in Strathroy and Area).
- 500 times a month individuals are turned away from resting space shelters, a 290 per cent increase from 2021 (London Cares).
- 2,166 times women turned away from shelters due to lack of beds (Anova, Atlohsa and Women's Rural Resource Centre in Strathroy and Area).
- 498 per cent increase in number of urban campsites visited (London Cares).
- 20,000 Londoners visiting the Food Bank, a 38 per cent increase from 2021.
There are still missing numbers
While the numbers tell a story of the reality of domestic violence and gender-based violence in the community, there are also missing numbers from those afraid or unsure of where to reach for support, said Yasmin Hussain, manager for public education and community programs at the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration.
Many individuals, women and families are in crisis — and organizations are in a state of crisis responding to those needs, she said. Organizations are already working beyond capacity to respond to realities of gender-based violence in the community working to ensure safety for those who are harmed and experiencing harm.
"Organizations are in crisis because the need is so great and we're always under resourced. We're stretched to capacity. Staff are tired, funding is always a challenge, and there's always this push to do more with less, which is an exhausting pattern and cycle to be in," Hussain said.
Community needs to rally together, says advocates
The most vulnerable people in our community need [more] support, said Jennifer Dunn, executive director of the London Abused Women's Centre and co-chair of LCCEWA, echoing the concern.
"We need to continue to have awareness raising, funding, education, to be able to continue the work that we're doing. It's unacceptable that anybody in our community is as vulnerable as they are, that women are still facing as much violence as they are and we need to do better," she said.
"We need to look at these numbers and think, how can we do better? What can we do better?"