Tonight I had a really difficult night which involved my key fob dying and my car not being able to start. Being a little stranded. Pretty cold but more like super super inconvenienced.

I was afraid to be cold for much long. I was so worried 1/

about getting cold.

Isn’t that wind awful? . I was instantly stressed. My son was with me so I was stressed about that too.

About 30 mins of being inconvenienced and cold. I also should let you know that I had shelter from the cold while I waited to talk to someone 2/

I was frustrated cause I just wanted to fix it now and I didn’t want it to take too time or money that I was prepared to spend.

I felt all of this while I am still employed. I felt all this knowing I could just cab home and figure it out eventually. 3/

Imagine either experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Imagine not knowing when you would get a break from the cold. Imagine always waiting for everything and everything costing so much money. Shelter. Access to information. Appts and transportation and you don’t 4/

Have enough money to feed your kids let alone try and access the services you need to temporarily relieve your circumstances.

How long would you be able to hold up? How long till you were escaping with booze or drugs because that constant tension lives under your skin. 5/

Do you know? I don’t.. I am having a glass of wine because tonight was a little tough.

Imagine it for a second. Lineups and bureaucracy. People judging. No shirts no shit no service sings in business and government windows.

I can’t for the life of me understand how this 6/

Is still an issue. Why are we still discussing If homelessness should be solved or not and we should. How can anyone experience this cold at all and think. “Yeah homelessness sure sucks, that’s too bad eh”. And not “I don’t care what it takes we are fixing it and fixing it now 7/

Our brothers and sisters need help. They need support and we all need to work on it together. There are so many causes and issues to be worried about. I get it. So much needs to be fought for. Inclusion and accessibility. Climate crisis. We have a long way to go and much work 8/

to do.

Homelessness has been solved in many places. Even right here in our province. We just need to make it a priority.

If you still need convincing I ask you to do me a favour. Go outside on a spring coat & runners. Maybe grab a garbage bag or something & carry it aroun 9/

No gloves. Skin exposed. Go walk around your neighbourhood like that tonight, 5 - 10 mins.

We need to get loud about ending homelessness. We need to make it a priority. Each one of us can play a part or role in it.

I just can’t understand how we don’t just copy the 10/

Communities who have ended homelessness and just end it.

STOP telling HUMANS they are negotiable and put them FIRST.

For the love of GOD end homelessness NOW. Not in 6 months. Not the next budget. Not in 10 years. Right now.

It’s the right and just thing to do.

And sorry for the grammatical errors. I read it 3 times before posting and missed them every darn time.