Unhoused: personal stories from people experiencing homelessness
CBC Radio | Posted: April 27, 2023 6:05 PM | Last Updated: April 27, 2023
What's it really like to be homeless? Five people share their stories
Where will you sleep tonight?
Can you imagine not knowing the answer to that question?
There are lots of people who don't.
The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness says that on any given night, about 35,000 people — more than the population of Moose Jaw — will sleep in a shelter, couch surf, or end up on the street.
Across the country, homelessness is the subject of debate, but we don't often hear the voices of the people themselves.
On this episode of Now or Never we're working to change that, and passing the microphone to folks who share their stories of struggle, survival, and hope.
We begin on Vancouver's East Hastings Street, where encampments are coming down, but the people who live there don't know where to go.
In Winnipeg, Brian lives at a shelter, but gets up and goes to work at his part-time job. He's afraid to share his last name because he's worried he'd lose his job if the company knew he was homeless.
Barbara has spent years in survival sex work, struggling with her addictions and health, but had always managed to find a place to stay, until now. Hear her story of resilience and how she hopes a goals journal will help her change her life.
Zachary Giesbrecht grew up in the tight-knit, Mennonite community of Steinbach, Manitoba — not a place you might think has a homelessness issue. But for the last few months, Zac has been living in an abandoned shed in his hometown. He shares what it's like to be homeless and in active addiction.
In a Scarborough hotel that's been converted to a shelter, residents have gathered for an art party and share how art can help with harm reduction.