Olivier M. reports that Toronto had a golden age of homelessness, from 2009 to 2013. He speaks from personal experience. In the golden age, he could find a bed in an emergency shelter. Since then, finding a bed to sleep in has become progressively more difficult.
Olivier is reflecting on his experience from a place of safety. His name came to the top of the list for subsidized housing in 2020 and he was able to move to permanent housing.
Olivier is glad to have housing, but he doesn’t feel “at home” yet.
Hearing what Olivier has to say speaks to the value of organizing supports to address the reality of experience. Read more at Citynews: ‘Golden Age of homelessness’ is over, says one former homeless man
At the time when Olivier could always find a bed in the emergency shelter system in Toronto, the same did not hold true for women. From 2009 to 2013, shelters offering spaces to women were consistently full. We need to listen to Olivier and many other people who experience homelessness to create a better response.
