Imagine.

Most of us born in the last fifty years have heard the lyrics to John Lennon’s iconic song, “Imagine.”  It has resonated on many levels with many people since its release in 1971.

For an increasing number of people, more than you might think, the reality of their lives almost exists in an entirely different universe than the one we live in.   They live in a world with little hope, constant danger, and little time to consider anything much more than what the next hour brings.

Imagine the following scenarios. While you read, consider what you would do under the same circumstances or what you might be able to do to help.

Imagine a widowed senior citizen, a homeowner – someone who has had a comfortable life to this point.  It has been several years since the death of their spouse, their house is too large, and the upkeep of even their small bungalow has proven far more expensive than their budget allows.  They would like to downsize but nothing is available in their community.  Rising costs for everything have made life unmanageable.  Embarrassed to ask for help for many months they have to decide between groceries and oil for their furnace.  With nothing left in the bank, they sit alone over a basic lunch in a sweater packed with newspaper for warmth.

A woman stands on the lawn in front of her rented home – at least it was her home until this morning.  Forcibly evicted less than thirty minutes ago, she is surrounded by her furniture, several plastic totes, and garbage bags full of her belongings.  She has no idea who to call, where she is going to sleep tonight, or even what she can do with her things.  Less than a month ago, she was working, albeit for minimum wage. With rent taking up more than 80% of her take-home pay, however, each passing month meant greater credit card debt as she struggled to pay the bills on borrowed time.  She didn’t mean for this to happen. 

Huddled in the protection of an old store entrance, a single parent lies awake.  She senses something moving just out of the range of what she can see.  Her two children are asleep in sleeping bags; she hasn’t slept for more than an hour or two for weeks.  In her early thirties, she looks like she is fifteen years older, with dark shadows under her eyes and an unhealthy thinness to her body.  She and her family have experienced homelessness for more than six months.  She worries about her mental state because of the lack of sleep and is afraid she will lose her children if she asks for help.

A young woman, working a full-time job, has been looking for an affordable apartment without any luck.  She could have had at least two apartments already, but one prospective landlord asked for extra money to sweeten the deal and the other for sex in return for giving her the apartment over another renter.  She refused both and now is spending her nights “couch surfing.”

A young person, too old for youth support, has been in and out of foster care since their parent threw them out of their house.  Some with a handful of petty charges that were as much about trying to eat as they were about doing anything illegal.  Desperate they went to the local housing authority.  They registered for some programs to help but they were “renovicted” from their apartment.  The local housing authority offered to put them into a motel for seven days and said that was the best they could do.  When they asked what happens after seven days, the clerk said they would provide a tent for them.  They said it is October, and the clerk responded that there isn’t housing.

All of these people have something in common and there are dozens more in our small city.    Their stories are real.  All of them are or are very close to experiencing homelessness.  None of them planned on this.  Some might say they made bad decisions, but most are just victims of circumstance.  Few of us realize just how precarious our situations are, and how close many of us are to being in the same position.

Few people plan to be homeless.  Many never thought it would happen to them, and most are surprised by how quickly it happened.  They are afraid, embarrassed, and in shock.  Most people, when they think about the issue of homelessness, believe that shelters and the government take care of everyone.  Some people look with disdain at those experiencing homelessness and believe that they should just “pull themselves up and get a job.”  Few of these people appreciate just how many barriers exist and how difficult finding and keeping a job is for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. 

So what can be done?

Awareness is a good place to begin.  There are many myths, misconceptions, and stigmas to overcome.  One is that people want to “live rough” – in reality, they are by far the exception. 

The next step is to appreciate that homelessness can happen to almost anyone.  Many people already live pay cheque to pay cheque, enough so that interrupting that cycle for even just a short period can create the circumstances for extreme financial hardship, eviction, and homelessness.  Death or divorce from a spouse or partner can make living almost impossible; it was always hard but with the housing crisis and skyrocketing accommodation costs, eviction is even more prevalent.  Young people leave abusive situations every day.  People who are suffering from mental issues and/or physical ailments whose government support simply isn’t enough to live find themselves in these situations.  There are examples of the seniors above who can barely survive on small pensions and limited savings and who are suddenly faced with unexpected expenses. 

The truth is that many people are precariously close to experiencing homelessness and don’t even realize it.  The shock, the embarrassment, and the fear are all compounded by the physiological effects of experiencing homelessness.  It has been said that people “on the street” who do not have mental issues will develop them within three months simply because of the stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep that they will encounter.

Our society has a thin veneer of civilization.  Our streets and neighborhoods may look safe during the day, but at night, with no secure place to sleep, it is a different world.  There are animal predators and cold or inclement weather, but the biggest dangers come from other people.  People experiencing homelessness are regularly robbed, beaten, threatened, sexually assaulted, trafficked, and even roused by police and bylaw enforcement.

Many believe there is a network of shelters, government supports, and accessible ways to escape from these situations, but in reality, there are elements but not enough to make a difference.   Few shelters exist in rural areas and those that do have insufficient funding for 24-hour care and wrap-around services.  Many communities do not even have public washrooms much less safe shelters.  Emergency housing is often miles away from jobs or services and often if someone refuses an offer, they go to the bottom of the list again.  Affordable geared-to-income housing run by the government has at least a five-year waiting list.  In larger centers, the wait is often even longer.

Worst of all, perhaps “hope” seems to be the thing in the shortest supply.

The problem is too big; there are too many moving parts.

It’s tough, situational poverty can very easily become generational poverty.  There is an excellent course called “Bridges out of Poverty” that should be required for all high school students and talks about the barriers, hidden rules, and strategies for breaking out of the trap of poverty.  

Awareness needs to be followed by concrete action.  As a society, we need to lose the assumption that all everyone has to do is simply work harder.  We need funding and an appreciation for properly funded shelters with wrap-around services to deal with mental, substance abuse, and other requirements.  Emergency housing must be more than just a “tent”.  In addition, affordable, geared-to-income housing must be present in every community, with wait lists measured in days and weeks instead of years.

The attitude of “pulling yourself up” must be replaced by one that says, “as a society, we are here to help,” For someone experiencing homelessness, something as simple as having a shower or a place to go to the washroom is difficult, and government claw backs serve as a disincentive to working, bureaus and attitudes push people back into poverty at almost every turn.

If each of us becomes aware and learns about our blind spots.  Volunteer at soup kitchens, food banks, and crisis lines.  If we tackle the necessary but feared (by some conservatives) topics like safe injection sites and prescribed supply of drugs to treat drug abuse as an illness rather than a crime, we can start to make a difference.  We need to stop human trafficking, partner abuse, and systematic racism.  We also need to understand that many of our beliefs about people experiencing homeless are likely wrong.  Most importantly, we need to lobby politicians, support local charities, and vote for politicians who want to make your community stronger and are not just the “party” you have always supported in the past.  Our unwillingness to do any of these things have created this problem.

It is not too late yet, but people are suffering, and they are losing or have lost hope.  People, each and every one of us, need to help them before it is too late.  We live in one of the richest countries in the world; our freedom comes with responsibility. 

We must do more than imagine that we can help or that society will help these people.

Paul.