YMCA teams up with County to help Ukrainian refugees find permanent housing
The YMCA of Simcoe Muskoka is continuing its efforts to provide support to Ukrainian refugees looking for permanent housing in Simcoe County.
For much of the last year, approximately 60 people who fled Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion of their country have been living at the IOOF Senior's Home in Barrie. The site had an empty building as it was slated for demolition.
"It's been great to have kids around the building, to see them running around," said Garry Hopkins, the CEO of IOOF Barrie. "It's been great to see some of the families starting to feel some comfort and starting to get over some of the stresses they've been experiencing, so it's been an amazing experience."
However, with that building set to be demolished in the coming weeks, those families were told they had to find a permanent housing solution by June 30.
"The YMCA of Simcoe Muskoka has taken a lead role in finding housing and working with the families and the individuals to find permanent living situations that fit their needs and what they are looking for in terms of housing," said Dave Hamilton, the YMCA's immigrant services team leader.
To meet the demand, the YMCA hired a housing coordinator, a new position meant to streamline the process and achieve maximum success.
"I've been working as a settlement council for 13 years, so I know this community quite well," says Yana Skybin, who transitioned to the new role of housing coordinator. "I'm supporting these individuals with multiple needs like applying; I've been calling, applying for retention fund or talking to people like, say, somebody who asks can you please call with me because I'm not able to understand what I'm being told."
The work is very personal for Skybin, who is Ukrainian and has family in the war-torn nation. Most individuals housed at the IOOF Senior's Home have found permanent solutions. As of Monday, only 8 out of 61 needed a home, with five choosing not to ask the YMCA for assistance.
"It's really the community's support that I can attribute all that success," said Skybin. "It's private real estate agents and the partners that were already involved, and definitely, the media helped because we had a lot of individuals just reaching out to us."
Svitlana Kalachnyk moved into her new home last month thanks to help from the YMCA. She has found a home in the south end of Barrie that she's sharing with two other families she met while staying at the IOOF.
"I'm full of happiness to be here," said Kalachnyk. "I have never felt so much support from people as in Canada."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Closing arguments heard in trial for Sask. dad accused of abducting daughter
Closing arguments were heard Thursday morning in the case of Michael Gordon Jackson, the Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter in 2021 to keep her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.