Posted On: July 25, 2024 Posted By: Joseph Quigley, The Trillium, Original Article
‘Homelessness is a direct result of bad policy and government is directly responsible for creating policy and putting policy into place,’ Blue Door CEO says
York Region housing charity Blue Door is ramping up its government advocacy efforts by contracting a lobbyist.
Homeward Public Affairs CEO Jacob Gorenkoff has registered as a provincial lobbyist on behalf of the local housing charity. He similarly registered as a federal lobbyist at the start of 2024, after several months with a different federal lobbyist in 2023.
It is all in a bid to help drive policy to address homelessness and housing issues, Blue Door CEO Michael Braithwaite said.
“As a registered charity, we’re driven by a mission to prevent and end homelessness, through housing and homelessness and employment initiatives,” Braithwaite said. “That’s impacted heavily by government policies and their programs.”
Lobbyists are required to register, with a public listing available to highlight their areas. On behalf of Blue Door federally, Gorenkoff is contracted to engage the government on skills training for newcomers, pursue federal investment in Blue Door and expand Blue Door programming. At both the provincial and federal levels of government, Gorenkoff is registered to lobby different ministries relating to housing and finance.
Braithwaite said this kind of lobbying is something Blue Door was doing previously, but by employees doing it “off the corner of our desks.”
He said Blue Door’s board of directors decided it was necessary to hire out for this effort, as other organizations of their size do, but opted to contract rather than hire an employee to save costs.
“Homelessness is a direct result of bad policy and government is directly responsible for creating policy and putting policy into place,” Braithwaite said. “If we are really going to make big change happen, it happens on that level.”
Blue Door benefited from about $9.5 million in upper government funding last year, including $2.2 million from the provincial government.
The organization also perhaps got results from its lobbying with approval of a ministerial zoning order for a new housing shelter at the current Kevin’s Place site in Newmarket.
“We’ve seen the results. We had to work with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to get an MZO to push the housing project at 835 Gorham St. through,” Braithwaite said.
Another major item Blue Door hopes to achieve federally relates to its Construct program, which provides skills training to those facing barriers to get into the construction industry. After several successful years running in GTA, Blue Door wants to see the model taken across the country.
“We’ve had a number of meetings through those efforts that hopefully will lead to greater support for those experiencing homelessness,” Braithwaite said.
Asked about those who might be skeptical about a charity investing its dollars into lobbying, Braithwaite said it is a necessary investment.
“So we can have those changes in policy,” Braithwaite said, adding that new funds are necessary “to make action happen so we can end and prevent homelessness in York Region.”