Lindsay's blog

On 9 June 2020, I participated in a panel discussion in David Hulchanski’s graduate-level social housing and home

As Canada exits the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the urgency to permanently rehouse people experiencing homelessness continues to grow. Two concerns loom: the end of the moratorium on evictions, and the loss of current hotels/motels being used as temporary accommodations.

Youth Reconnect and The Upstream Project Canada are youth homelessness early intervention prevention initiatives that are based on partnerships between schools and community social service organizations. This blog post discusses the case for the innovative collaboration models undertaken by these initiatives, with the critical role of schools at the forefront.

The urban camping/rough sleeping/unsheltered debate in Canada very much predates the COVID-19 pandemic. Community members, service providers, policy makers, and at times orders of government differ on the right approaches to supporting or confronting those who live unsheltered in public spaces.

Earlier this year, a large rally was held in downtown Ottawa calling for a state of emergency. Spearheaded by urban municipal Councillor Catherine McKenney, the emergency was called in response to mounting concerns about an increase in folks at risk of homelessness.

Much of the Canadian response to COVID-19 and homelessness has been built around the concern related to transmission risk within emergency shelters. This has led to a number of approaches such as de-intensifying shelter spaces, increased cleaning and sanitation, and broad screening for symptoms.

It goes without saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged all of us in different ways. Those who work in the frontlines of the homeless serving sector already work in complex environments without the looming threat of a highly contagious and potentially deadly illness.