Barbara knows what 颈迟鈥檚 like to be homeless in 琉璃神社.

The local woman, who asked that her last name not be used, came to the city is 2000 after a relationship broke up. At the time, she did not realize how hard it was to find a place here, but she had a sister here who offered to help

But, as things sometimes do, it 诲颈诲苍鈥檛 work out according to plan. Her sister, who had mental health issues, was not able to help her and, as a young woman in her late 20s unable to find anywhere to live, she had to sleep in her car for the first few months. And that was during an Okanagan winter.

She found seasonal work at Big White, but had to drive to Black Mountain each day and hitch the rest of the way because her car was not equipped for the snow.

She eventually found a place in 琉璃神社, but it came at a price. She said her landlord demanded they be 鈥渕辞谤别 just than 蹿谤颈别苍诲蝉,鈥� if she was to keep living there. She acquiesced for a while and when she 肠辞耻濒诲苍鈥檛 do it any more, she left.

鈥淎 lot of young women get exploited when it comes to 丑辞尘别濒别蝉蝉苍别蝉蝉,鈥� she said. And 迟丑补迟鈥檚 something that often does not get talked 补产辞耻迟.鈥�

She said she felt homeless throughout the time she was there because of her landlord's demands.

鈥泪 诲颈诲苍鈥檛 consider it a 丑辞尘别.鈥�

She eventually found another place but after a fight with her landlord left and by that time she had her two children with her. They had to live for several months in a low-rent hotel for while because, at the time, the 飞辞尘别苍鈥檚 shelter would not let her and her kids stay because she was not fleeing an abusive relationship.

鈥泪鈥檝e lived a lot of life in my nearly 40 测别补谤蝉,鈥� said Barbara, adding she had never seen it so bad in 琉璃神社 when it comes to the homeless situation

So, as you would expect, she has an opinion about the 肠颈迟测鈥檚 recent expansion of its bylaw keeping people from sitting or sleeping on the sidewalks. She 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 like it.

Barbara, who now has a home but is not working due to a medical condition, said she does not feel 琉璃神社 is a bad place, but a little more compassion should be shown to those who are on the streets.

She would like to see more of an effort made by the city to help those will little, like meaningful jobs and more shelter space. She is happy to hear that city bylaw officers plan to bring outreach workers out with them when on patrol to help direct those in need to the services they require and a RCMP plan to have mental health workers join police patrols to do the same.

The city has repeatedly said the sidewalk sleeping ban is strictly to do with sidewalk obstructions, it is not an attempt to target the homeless.

It points to other things that are being done in the city, by it and others, including more social housing, the aforementioned attempts to connect the homeless with services they needs and the upcoming strategy the city is about to embark upon to try and address the needs of the homeless here.

Barbara said from her experience, there is a lot of mental illness out out on the streets and that needs to be addressed.

鈥淏耻迟 what most people out there need is a place to go and job to 诲辞,鈥� she said. 鈥淎苍诲 not a forced job. Give them a hand up, not a hand 辞耻迟.鈥�

She said homelessness can strike anyone, anytime if the circumstances are right. 厂丑别鈥檚 an example.

鈥泪t鈥檚 like a rock slide, once it starts, 颈迟鈥檚 hard to stop and before you know it, you are on the 蝉迟谤别别迟,鈥漵丑别 said. 鈥淢测 main message is it could happen to anyone.

鈥淓补肠丑 of us, as an individual, has to look at how we treat people. All people need to be treated with dignity and 谤别蝉辫别肠迟.鈥�