Just six more days until the bell rings for thousands of students across Greater Victoria – it’s time to head back to school. Students and parents are busy getting those last minute items; backpacks, binders, the perfect back to school outfit, juice boxes, snacks, the list goes on and on. But this isn’t the case for all youth. As youth who are homeless get ready for this school year, they have to consider where they will live and what they will eat, in addition to which classes they’ll take. Continue reading
Author Archives: The Coalition
The Definition of Homelessness
Homelessness doesn’t just affect the people we see on the street, it exists in invisible ways within our community: people living in abandoned buildings, those camping, or couch surfing, those living in overcrowded homes. Many people experiencing homelessness or those at risk of homelessness, experience poor physical, emotional, and mental health, and are often unable to plan and save for thriving futures. Continue reading
Could You Become Homeless?
I Work hard. I do the right thing. Homelessness is something that will never happen to me.
So many of us think this very thing, but sometimes, all it takes is one life-changing experience to land you on the streets: a job loss, death of a loved one, divorce, natural disaster, or serious illness.
How would you cope? Where would you go? What would you do? You’d figure something out, right? Continue reading
Myths of Homelessness: Part 3
Throughout our series on the myths of homelessness, we have addressed the myths that homelessness only happens downtown, and that those experiencing homelessness are only the mentally ill. We also tackled the myths that youth are on the streets because they’re rebellious and have run away from home and that for many, homelessness is a choice. This week we’re debunking the myth that it would be too much of a burden on taxpayers to provide homes for those experiencing homelessness. Continue reading
Myths of Homelessness: Part 2
This week we continue our effort to debunk the myths of homelessness. In Part 1 of our series, we tackled the myths that homelessness only happens downtown and that those experiencing homelessness are only the mentally ill, drug addicts or alcoholics. This week, we will look at the myth that youth are on the street because they’re rebellious and have run away from home and the myth that most people experiencing homelessness choose to be homeless. Continue reading