An inside look at the harsh realities of homelessness

For all too many people in Canada, a place to live is something they can only wish for.

In January, in the depths of an intense cold snap, four homeless people died on the streets of Toronto. There were also deaths in Saskatoon and Edmonton.

As those traumas grabbed the headlines, we spoke with two people who know firsthand what it's like to be homeless: Cheryl Johnson and a man known by the nickname Captain.

After that interview, in the spring, Johnson participated in a video for national homeless advocacy centre Raising the Roof. The video features homeless people reading some of the cruel tweets that have been posted online about the homeless — a reminder, in the organization's eyes, that the conversation around the issue needs to change.

We spoke with Caitlin Boros, marketing and communications coordinator for Raising the Roof.

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This segment was produced by The Current's Ines Colabrese.