Movie Time!

I know, you're probably getting tired of me writing about homelessness, but I promise, this will be the last such post for a while...

Last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to see an excellent presentation at one of our local theatres. Maybe some of you did too, because I moodled about it last month. This Is Where We Live is a film by local film maker, Eric Rice, who visited people with experiences of homelessness in Edmonton's inner city. 

Eric interviewed them and came up with monologues from the stories they told -- which he took back to them so they could have the final say on what would be said. Actors were then hired to do the storytelling, and the result is an excellent and thought-provoking short film.

It will be shown on Zoom at noon MST tomorrow, and in case you're interested and available to watch at that time, the film maker has given me permission to share the link. I'm hoping to see it again myself. 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88223914789?pwd=UVBpdmNELzdsZU5vWGFFL3hrTkJ6dz09

For too many of us, homelessness is an issue, rather than actual people, but films like this help us to realize that losing our homes can happen to any one of us, that there's a fine line between living in warmth and security and living in a tent. All it takes is a divorce, a death, a disease, unemployment, or some other momentary or momentous misfortune -- and life changes, sometimes drastically. 

And as our temperatures plunge this week, it's time to give some thought to what we can do to help. A call or letter to local, provincial and federal ministries of housing has never been more important. As the panel discussion after the movie made clear, we need ALL levels of government working TOGETHER to solve our present social housing crisis.

I hope you'll consider checking out this film, dear readers. It's worth it.

This Is Where We Live

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!