November 18, 2021
“Home-less-ness”
Noun
“The state of an individual, family or community without a stable, safe, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect means and ability of acquiring it.” The Canadian Definition of Homelessness - https://ontario.cmha.ca/
A brief definition that truly doesn’t suffice the authentic experience of what it means to be homeless and vulnerable. Many marginalized communities face homelessness on a day-to-day basis.
However, being homeless is not limited to solely experiencing instability in obtaining housing. Homelessness defines the trauma induced by intersections of race, age, class and gender and each group or individual is impacted in different ways with unique experiences.
Many of those that are homeless lack structural support from society and the misconception that people choose to be homeless is invalid. It is not a choice.
So what can you do?
Taking leadership in the development of preventative frameworks is crucial in helping end the crisis of homelessness. Many organizations are built and designed to cater to homelessness and support housing instability, however it’s also vital to create structural change.
It is our aim as a society to invest in initiatives that work in homeless prevention, acknowledging and addressing the issue of homelessness when it begins, and lastly by developing strategies to stop the recurrence of those who have previously experienced homelessness. - https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101
