London student homeless after house fire despite receiving provincial disability support

A London student has found himself homeless following a house fire this summer despite being enrolled in the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

Brett Davis, who has autism and depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), had been living independently for four years prior to the fire on Aug. 8 in an apartment below his. Damage from the fire destroyed his unit as well. His sole income comes from ODSP.  

The 23-year-old has been on the program since 2019, and gets about $1,100 monthly. $700 was going to rent at his previous home, leaving $400 for other expenses. 

Before the fire, the government support was enough, however some months he would go to the food bank if he had to deal with an unexpected expense, Davis said. 

Since the fire, he hasn't had luck finding an affordable and adequate home. His mom, Jaselyn Beckman, has helped him get on two waitlists for housing: he's been on one for two years and the other for nearly five years.

Davis is still looking and hasn't given up. 

Lost home, belongings

"The cheapest place I found is about $850 for a bachelor, and most of those places have cockroaches and stuff like that," he said. "It's not really an ideal situation to live in." 

Because of his OCD and sensory issues, he needs a place to himself and cannot live with others.

"Honestly, I'd be happy with something worse than what I used to have but even that's not an option," Davis said. "The amount of rent I'd have to pay for a place worse than what I used to have is substantially more than I paid."  

Not only did Davis lose his home, but he lost his belongings because he couldn't afford apartment insurance. Among the items destroyed in the fire is his laptop, which is crucial for his schooling at Fanshawe. Three of his five school days are remote, and he's been borrowing a computer from a family friend for now, he said.  

Davis is taking a Public Safety Fundamentals program as a precursor to Fire Inspection and Fire Safety Education. 

According to Kyle Vose, the agency chair of ODSP Action Coalition, this is a common story for those with disabilities who are living off ODSP.

The maximum amount that ODSP allows for rent is $498, which is "virtually impossible" to find unless it is shared accommodations, Vose said. Otherwise, rent will come out of the remaining budget for food and other expenses, as was the case with Davis. 

"This is a problem that we find all across the province," Vose said. 

At this point, Davis' mother is hoping that her son finds a "clean, safe apartment for around $950," which she plans to help subsidize. 

Vose doesn't believe that it's realistic to live on ODSP:

"The way that the government looks at it, and especially with this government now, you're expected to go to a lot of charity … you know, your family to contribute to you, you're expected to go to food banks, you're expected to go to soup kitchens, drop in centres. You get support that way."