Milton is often thought of as an affluent community, but Donna Danielli knows all too well the struggles facing many right here in town, including finding a place to live.
An upcoming fundraising event will help people facing a housing crisis.
Danielli, executive director of Milton Transitional Housing (MTH), has organized Milton Fashionista Flip on Saturday, Jan. 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Southside Church, 7480 Derry Rd., just west of the Milton Sports Centre.
All proceeds will be donated to MTH, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people who are experiencing a housing crisis.
Fashionista Flip will feature women’s apparel, jewelry, and accessories with every donated item at the event, being sold for $2.
Donations are being accepted at MTH, 420 Main St. E., or at The Vacuum Shop, 785 Main St. E., where tickets to the event, which are $10, are also available.
Danielli said the event will give women a chance to renew and refresh their wardrobes since every item sold at the event is only $2.
Since this is the first event, Danielli isn’t sure what to expect, but she knows every dollar raised will help.
“MTH is in dire need of funds and I am hoping people can help us,” she said.
MTH provides subsidized bridge accommodation with counselling for people in housing crisis to give them the time and support they need to recover from the crisis and return to housing independence with dignity.
“Not a lot of people realize that six per cent of people living here are living on an incoming under $20,000,” she said. “The need is crucial.
“My phone rings continually,” she said. “Before Christmas, I had a call from a young man who had found a good job in Milton, but couldn’t find a place to live.
“I told him to check the Champion for apartments, but he said he’d need first and last month’s rent. He said ‘It’s okay, I’ll live on the street for a few weeks.’”
She said another problem in Milton is the low vacancy rate for rental units, at only 0.02 per cent, a figure she quoted from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
“That means 1 in 500 availability,” she said. “As quickly as they’re for rent, they’re gone.
“It’s the lowest rate in Canada.”
Some 626 single individuals and 153 families in Halton were placed in emergency shelter in 2013, according to Danielli. Milton, which accounts for 20 per cent of Halton's population, experienced more than 150 of those housing emergencies.
For information on Fashionista Flip, contact Danielli at (905) 699-7433 or donna.danielli@miltongtransionalhousing.ca.
http://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/5249340-fundraiser-set-for-transitional-housing-support-in-milton/