Homeless seek safety and community in numbers in “tent cities” Tonight, an increasing number of Canadians face the prospect of sleeping in a tent — not to welcome the summer camping season, but as a last resort. Unlike regulated campgrounds, “tent cities” are without electricity, water and often bathrooms. These makeshift encampments appear to be […]
It is time to re-think our budgeting It’s budget season and Canadian provincial governments are continuing the tradition of spending more on health care than any other single portfolio. For example, Alberta spends almost half of its provincial budget on health – an estimated $22 billion this year – which is more than any […]
Dr. Jino Distasio of the University of Winnipeg discusses the systemic problems that contribute to homelessness in Canada — and the local and national efforts required to stop the revolving door of homelessness. Photo Credit: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
At last, Canada stands with other developed nations when the federal government launched our first National Housing Strategy (NHS) this week. While this historic step forward represents what many activists have been calling on for decades, is it time to rejoice? Will the staggering $40 billion dollars promised over 10 years amend nearly a quarter […]
Une bonne nouvelle pour le Canada, mais le diable est dans les détails Le Canada emboîte enfin le pas à d’autres pays développés avec le lancement de sa première Stratégie nationale sur le logement, cette semaine. Alors que cette avancée historique représente ce que de nombreux militants demandent depuis des décennies, pouvons-nous vraiment nous […]
It’s time we put Housing First For most of his life, Murray Barr was an ordinary American until everything changed abruptly when his story of personal tragedy and period of homelessness created a media frenzy. It was in his article, “Million Dollar Murray,” that Malcolm Gladwell turned homelessness into a celebrity cause by illustrating […]
There’s reason for hope A version of this commentary appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press, the Huffington Post and the Vancouver Province In North American cities like New York, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto and countless others, we have grown accustomed to seeing people who are homeless walk among us, often in the shadows, often with […]
The tragic stories of Ashley Smith, Edward Snowshoe and other inmates who have died while in Canadian correctional facilities have rightly made headlines around the country.
On any given night in Canada, over 30 000 people are without a shelter. The director of the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Winnipeg, Dr. Jino Distasio, believes that it is possible to end homelessness in Canada. How? By helping one person at a time. Interview by Mélanie Meloche-Holubowski, journalist intern at […]
As humans, we need to sleep. It is a biologically unavoidable act. Yet, on both sides of the border, “sleeping” can be considered a criminal act, especially if you are homeless and have no place to rest your head other than in public spaces such as parks.
