You can go to rehab, send out resumes, and apply for housing and still find yourself homeless in Abbotsford.
Those feelings of despair and frustration are prevalent in comments collected from homeless men, women and youth during recent focus group sessions held by researchers for the city.
The project, led by Mennonite Central Committee’s Ron Van Wyk, hopes to lay the groundwork for the creation of a co-ordinated system to provide services and referrals for homeless men and women.
Statements from the anonymous participants were included in a recent report to the city’s homeless committee and suggest how a variety OF institutional and societal barriers hinder efforts to turn one’s life around.
“Being homeless is not fun. You just want to die,” one person said.
“With addictions, you gotta wait. You gotta wait, and wait, and wait just to see them,” another participant said. One noted that when a person finishes their time at a treatment house, he or she can quickly find themselves back on the street without a home.
With rent out of reach for many of those on disability, a job is key. But finding employment is far from easy when you have no home, several people told researchers.
Potential employers, one participant said, “look at you like you’re a f*ing drug addict, you’re not dependable. You’ve become someone that’s just a fall down.”
And staying in a shelter isn’t always appealing, another said.
“A lot of that is what people’s lives consist of in that shopping cart. … and you want them to go throw it away just so they can stay in a shelter? No, it doesn’t work that way.”
Several participants spoke about feeling ill-will from the public and even service providers.
“You don’t necessarily have to agree with drugs,” one said. “You just have to respect the person who does them.”
And many sought more control over their situation.
“Nobody wanted to listen to what we figured we needed. They all figured they knew what we needed, and that’s what I really hate.”
But there were also notes of encouragement for those trying to improve the situation:
“I just don’t want to see this municipality give up. It’s gonna be … a long, hard road, but it’s doable. … It didn’t happen overnight, and it’s not going to be solved that way. Right? So: Don’t give up!”
Comments to homeless researchers