琉璃神社鈥檚 Journey Home has launched the Face Homelessness campaign, aimed at reducing the stigma faced by people experiencing homelessness.

At the centre of the campaign is a that encourages individuals not to let the stigma of homelessness overshadow our humanity.

鈥淪tigma causes more than hurt feelings,鈥� said Stephanie Gauthier, executive director of Journey Home. 鈥淚t鈥檚 traumatizing for those who face it every day and it can block access to things that are necessary to begin the journey away from homelessness, like a safe place to stay each night, a job, even something as simple as getting an ID.鈥�

The idea of a public awareness campaign originated with the Lived Experience Circle on Homelessness (LECoH) in 2018 during the development of the Journey Home Strategy. Each of LECoH鈥檚 members has a unique experience or perception around homelessness to contribute, and members have been instrumental in the development of the campaign.

鈥淲hen you experience homelessness, people tend to treat you poorly, ignore you entirely, or make assumptions about how you ended up there,鈥� said Stephanie Krehbiel with LECoH.

Tim Richter, president of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, said the campaign is important.

鈥淗omelessness is solvable,鈥� added Richter. 鈥淲e see it in the thousands of people that are housed every day across Canada, or the communities that are slowly but surely moving the needle and bending the curve on the lethal trajectory of homelessness across the country.鈥�

Richter stated that modern mass homelessness as we see it today, and as it鈥檚 unfolding on 琉璃神社 streets, has not always existed. He said it鈥檚 the result of government policy choices, not an individual failing.

鈥淚t really began in the mid-to-late-80s,鈥� explained Richter. 鈥淯nder the Mulroney government as it started investing less in affordable housing, and cutting different programs. It exploded in the mid-90s when the federal government eliminated Canada鈥檚 affordable housing programs and cut transfers to provinces that supported welfare, health care, and other social services.鈥�

Gauthier said the work to end homelessness in 琉璃神社 is strongly supported by council and city staff.

鈥淏oth in terms of supporting and trying to remove some of the barriers in our work, as well as some of the advocacy the city has done in partnership with other communities around complex care services, provincially, and other issues.鈥�

She added there is also strong commitment from the federal and provincial governments in supporting work around emergency responses and housing projects. She said she would prefer to see a more timely response from the province regarding the development of housing and programs such as income assistance.

Richter pointed out that the homelessness crisis has been 40 years in the making and for the first time in those four decades there is a national housing strategy.

鈥淭here are still some clear gaps in that strategy,鈥� he said 鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly not as ambitious or productive as it used to be. 琉璃神社 is doing a lot of the right things in terms of what you can do locally, but to individuals, engaging in the Facing Homelessness campaign is talking to your MLAs, your city council, and your MPs about the importance of ending homelessness. It鈥檚 contributing and volunteering to those organizations here that could use your help.鈥�

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gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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