New Brunswick·Seeking Shelter

Q&A: Siblings talk about their experiences with homelessness in Moncton

Thornton Crowley and Julie Radcliffe have both experienced unstable housing, whether through couch surfing or sleeping in shelters. They reunited a few months ago, and Radcliffe is helping her younger brother until he is able to find a place to live.

Thornton Crowley and Julie Radcliffe have both experienced unstable housing

Tori Weldon · CBC · Posted: Mar 11, 2019 8:26 AM EDT | Last Updated: March 14, 2019

28-year-old Julie Radcliffe and her brother 20-year-old Thornton Crowley reconnected a few months ago, after losing contact for about three years. The siblings said their family life was hard. Radcliffe used to struggle with unstable housing, couch surfing while looking for a new home. Crowley resorted to sleeping in shelters for a time. (Tori Weldon/CBC)

Julie Radcliffe, 28, used to couch surf at friends' homes when she couldn't find a place to live.

Her sibling Thornton Crowley, 20, is still looking for a stable place to call home.

The two said they grew up in a violent household and moved out at a young age. They went three years without seeing each other, but with the help of their grandmother, have recently reconnected.

Where do you live now?

Crowley: I live between my grandmother and my sister's homes. I'm just kind of with them until I can move in with one of my friends, but they have to clean out one of my rooms first so it's going to take a month. I'm kind of in limbo.

Radcliffe: I got two (bedrooms) for my daughter and me and my fiance. I'm very grateful for that. I'm helping out my brother, so I have (him) there kind of living there, but I can't permanently unfortunately.

Left to right, Grandmother Diana Gauvin, her boyfriend Danny Cormier, siblings Julie Radcliffe and Thornton Crowley meet for a hot lunch at the Karing Kitchen to catch up. Gauvin reconnected with Radcliffe at a store a year and a half ago and helped her learn to file taxes and apply for GST checks. They went looking for Crowley and he now turns to his family for much needed support. (Tori Weldon/CBC)

What are your experiences with homelessness?

Crowley: I haven't had a stable place in four years. I've been through roommates that'll have me for a few months and kick me out, (they) will get tired of me, or anything like that.

With me, because I don't have a lot of money I just have to hope I get lucky. It's kind of like a gamble every time I move. I have to go through shelters and with friends until I can find a place to live just because I can't even afford to rent my own place. So that's the main reason why I have been having problems with homelessness.

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Radcliffe: I wasn't "homeless" homeless but I was homeless. There was times that the door would be locked when I would try to go to my friend's house ... because they'd be out or something. Then I'm just walking around town just thinking, 'ok wow, I'm screwed, it's cold' and then I'm trying to think, 'who else do I know?' You never can be relaxed when you're in that situation, there is no relax. It just sucked.

Thornton Crowley has struggled with homelessness on and off for four years. The 20-year-old was kicked out of his house because of his sexuality. His grandmother and sister have been helping him while he is in between apartments. (Tori Weldon/CBC)

What's the hardest part about finding a place to live?

Crowley: I get $475 a month and that's not even enough to cover the cheapest apartments right now. So it's frustration, a lot of frustration because there is nothing you can really do about your situation most of the time.

The best way I feel I got away with it and lived, is keeping yourself busy anyway you know how. I'm a bit of an artist so I'm always painting even if its a bit hard to do that. I always have enough change to get a sketchbook. And it's making sure you don't get into drugs, making sure you don't get into alcohol or prostitution or any of those things. The worst thing about homelessness is there is nothing to do, and you want to do something all the time, you want to fix your situation. You just have to wait until somebody says, 'hey, maybe I'll help you.' Its the worst thing ever.

Julie Radcliffe is a 27-year-old mother of a new baby. She, her fiance and their baby live in a two bedroom apartment in Moncton. Radcliffe said she once had to rely on friends for a couch to sleep on, but she feels secure in her living situation. She returns the favour by taking in other people and her brother when they need a warm place to sleep. (Tori Weldon/CBC)

Radcliffe: At the time I didn't have medicare and all that crap. I had it lost, or stolen or what ever. I ended up trying to get it again, so in the process of doing that I was trying to find a place at the same time, so yeah, that was fun (laughs).

It took me a while to, almost a year, to get everything set up. And around that time ... I found out I was pregnant. It was like, I really got to go as quick as I can.

If you could see one thing changed to help homeless people, what would it be?

Crowley: The most important thing we need right now is cheaper housing, that would solve a lot of people's problems. And I feel like having a social program for people who are homeless or in a really bad situation financially to get ID and stuff would be really helpful.

Radcliffe: Honestly, find a better shelter for homeless people. Because I don't want to be stuck in that situation again, so it hurts seeing other people in that situation.