{"id":4750,"date":"2020-07-11T09:31:57","date_gmt":"2020-07-11T13:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=4750"},"modified":"2020-09-03T08:18:36","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T12:18:36","slug":"homelessness-in-our-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/homelessness-in-our-area\/","title":{"rendered":"Homelessness in our area"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Roy L Hales<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Summer is here, and with it an increase in the number of homeless people in our communities. <\/span><\/span><\/span>According to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Sue Moen<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> , the Salvation Army's representative in the\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Campbell River and District Coalition to End Homelessness<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> , this problem goes back about forty years - to when the federal government stopped subsidizing affordable housing. <\/span><\/span><\/span>In the wake of the\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>COVID pandemic<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> , many Canadians have come to the realization that issues like this are community problems and we all need to seek solutions. <\/span><\/span><\/span>In this morning's interview, Sue Moen talks about homelessness in our area.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Homelessness<\/a>

Sue Moen - courtesy the Campbell River and District Coalition to End Homelessness<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

BC Housing's Definition of Homelessness<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cHomeless, according to the definition used by BC Housing, includes people who are precariously housed, or couch surfing, or aren't paying rent directly to a landlord. <\/span><\/span><\/span>They may be sharing a room, but their name isn't on the rental agreement. <\/span><\/span><\/span>They don't know if they'll have housing for the next thirty days\u2026 Also, there are a lot of people who are living in vehicles, RVs, and some even in campsites, \u201dsaid Moen.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf they are off the beaten track and do not connect with services, they sometimes do even consider themselves homeless.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Describe A Typical Homeless Person<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cDescribe a typical homeless person?\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span>I asked.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere isn't typical. <\/span><\/span><\/span>People become homeless for every reason that there is a person experiencing homelessness. <\/span><\/span><\/span>It could be fleeing violence, family break-down, fire, flood or an expected loss of employment, \u201dsaid Moen.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be something like a\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>WorkSafeBC\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> claim. <\/span><\/span><\/span>Someone is injured on the job. <\/span><\/span><\/span>They don't have savings. <\/span><\/span><\/span>They might get medical EI while they wait for their WorkSafe claim. <\/span><\/span><\/span>It can take months or years for that to come through and they run out of money because EI, or Income assistance, is not enough to pay rent and feed yourself. <\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Women fleeing violence often end up couch surfing.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey may be able to safely flee violence, but if there isn't an opening for them at a shelter, they will often end up with family or friends in very precarious situations. <\/span><\/span><\/span>There could be overcrowding; <\/span><\/span><\/span>they don't know how long the housing will last etc, \u201dsaid Moen.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She went on to mention people who:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n