I've been learning a lot lately about the affordable housing crisis in Canada. After the Great Wars, we had a series of governments that made investments in social and affordable housing, but since the 80s, almost nothing has been done. As a result, a lot of the subsidized housing for people living on the poverty line has become run down and less than suitable for habitation even as rental fees increase.
Our governments throw around a lot of big numbers when it comes to talking about their investments in affordable housing, but what many people don't realize is that those are often past years' numbers on repeat, while housing needs continue to increase year by year. The rising number of homeless people on our streets is indicative of our governments' failure to actually invest in housing for those living on the margins over the last 30+ years. It seems they prefer to throw money at temporary shelters in the winter!
What governments forget is that people with permanent roofs over their heads don't require the vast amounts of taxpayer funds that homeless folks do when it comes to shelters, mental health and addictions treatment, basic medical care, and wrap-around services.
If a society's success is based on how well it treats its most vulnerable citizens, a walk around our downtown core indicates that ours is far from successful.
Local filmmaker Eric Rice has put together what promises to be a powerful little movie of re-enacted interviews with people living on the streets here in Edmonton. It's showing at the Garneau Theatre on the National Housing Day of Action, Tuesday, November 22 at 7 p.m. It will be followed with a panel discussion. Tickets are $10 in advance, at This-Is-Where-We-Live.eventbrite.com, with funds supporting the work of the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECOHH).
If you're in the Edmonton area, I hope to see you there. And if you want to help me promote this event, leave a comment in the box below. Thanks!
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