This is part two in a series on homelessness in the Semiahmoo Peninsula

Click to read part one that looks at an overview of homelessness in South Surrey and White Rock

Judgmental eyes bore into Marcel鈥檚 back one morning at the White Rock promenade, when all he wanted was a complimentary coffee 鈥� something several others had helped themself to without issue.

It was clear he did not belong.

At least, that鈥檚 how it felt for Marcel 鈥� a resident who has been living on the Semiahmoo Peninsula for years and recently lost his home.

鈥淚 get this look from the crowd 鈥� I was labeled,鈥� said Marcel, who requested that only his first name be used.

He felt ostracized in a place where just months prior he could have easily blended into the crowd 鈥� a community where he has held many friendships, where he raised his children and worked.

This is why for him 鈥� and for other unhoused people he knows 鈥� having a shelter to reside in is not the top priority.

Marcel lost his own home after experiencing one devastating loss after another.

鈥淐OVID hit, my father committed suicide and then I lost my licence to drive, and that was my ticket for my income because I was a contractor. It all just unraveled so quickly,鈥� he said.

鈥淟osing my father was very traumatic for me and I could have handled any one of those things separately, but it all happened like bang, bang, bang.鈥�

The cost and energy it takes to live in society did not allow Marcel to take a breather and re-set, he said, and so, he lost 鈥渆verything.鈥�

Eventually, Marcel filed for bankruptcy and took to the streets of White Rock. At first, it was terrifying, he said, but after getting help from other unhoused people around the area he has become more comfortable.

Rochele Strano, peer co-ordinator for Sources outreach team, which helps unhoused people around the area, was herself homeless for 10 years while living in Nanaimo, before moving to the Semiahmoo Peninsula two years ago.

鈥淗alf of the people cross the street to avoid you, the other half won鈥檛 look you in the eye and the ones that do (scoff) or pretend you鈥檙e not even there,鈥� Strano told Peace Arch News.

A little kindness can go a long way, she noted.

鈥淪omeone might be on their way to kill themselves and if you said 鈥榞ood morning鈥� and smiled, that might change their whole outlook.鈥�

Homeless shelter just first hurdle

Having a homeless shelter is only one 鈥� some advocates say the simplest 鈥� part of tackling homelessness.

Upkar Tatlay, founder of Engaged Community of Canada Society (ECCS), goes so far as to say that being accepted in one鈥檚 community is even more important than having a shelter.

鈥淚鈥檇 draw attention to (the fact) that there鈥檚 still this pervasive ignorance in the community that exists around homelessness,鈥� he said.

鈥淥nce we all have a common understanding, that鈥檚 when transformative change can occur. Once we鈥檙e all operating from the same playbook and we can all deliver solutions and responses, that鈥檚 when we鈥檙e going to see true, true change.鈥�

Many people the outreach team members see have had an experience similar to Marcel鈥檚, others lost work due to injuries and developed a reliance on pain medication, some are still reeling from childhood trauma, others have no personal support system and do not have the means to make it on their own, Strano said.

Everyone is different, she reiterates.

鈥淭he majority of homeless who don鈥檛 do drugs when they become homeless, within a year they do. Because it鈥檚 just a way to cope,鈥� she said.

Access to mental health resources, harm-reduction gear, safe-consumption sites and enough food to eat would make a world of a difference, advocates say.

鈥淪ome people would never live in a house again or sleep in a bed 鈥� it becomes a way of life,鈥� Strano said, pointing to a woman she knows in White Rock who lives out of her vehicle quite proficiently and is happily doing so.

PH2H and their chair Rick Bayer provide an extreme-weather shelter at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in partnership with Options Community Services, but are advocating for a permanent shelter on the Semiahmoo Peninsula.

Still, Bayer recognizes that 鈥渨rap-around supports are essential along with providing a roof over one鈥檚 head.鈥�

Basic necessities not met

People living on the streets rarely get access to a washroom, members of the outreach team stress.

Marcel once went to a fast-food chain and asked to use the restroom and was told it was out of order and to try a different business down the street. He went there and was told the same thing once again, and again at the next one.

鈥淚 thought, 鈥楬ow are all of these bathrooms out of order?鈥欌��

This leads many people to use bushes or side streets as a washroom, a practise which is often reported to police or by-law.

鈥淲here else are they supposed to go?鈥� Strano asks, while acknowledging that some people have misused business washrooms and that is likely the reason for not allowing unhoused people access to them.

But, a few people on one end of the spectrum should not represent everybody, she notes or, even better, public restrooms need to be more available instead.

Stigma holds people back

People hold onto stereotypes rather than take the time to learn and engage in conversations with those different from themselves, said Tatlay. This only prevents progress, he believes.

There are times when he reaches out to other organizations in an effort to collaborate, but the conversations often take a turn.

鈥淭here鈥檚 organizations that say, 鈥業 don鈥檛 want to be involved in homelessness, it鈥檚 not that big of a problem.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 an other-ing of the problem,鈥� Tatlay explains.

鈥淥n the Peninsula, it鈥檚 often viewed as a benign problem, or it鈥檚 minuscule or perhaps intermittent. It鈥檚 easy to just push the responsibility and say 鈥榃e don鈥檛 touch that issue鈥� or 鈥榳e don鈥檛 address homelessness, that鈥檚 not part of our mandate, it鈥檚 not in our scope.鈥欌��

Meanwhile, some residents see the growing number of people living on the streets of White Rock and South Surrey as a direct result of the services that are being provided here to help them, even though many advocates say that there is nowhere near enough supportive systems.

鈥淲hen folks wonder why there seem to be increasing numbers of 鈥榰nhoused鈥� people perhaps one factor is the increasing success society is having at keeping them warm and well fed. Of course sometimes bad luck is involved,鈥� one South Surrey resident wrote to PAN.

鈥淚 haven鈥檛 seen a skinny homeless person for years. I see them relaxing on the grounds of the local parks with their overflowing shopping carts parked close by, but they are clearly not starving.鈥�

Others wrote into PAN with similar sentiments.

For Marcel, it鈥檚 not difficult to understand why some people judge him. He was one of them not that long ago.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have even given myself the time of day,鈥� he explained.

However, education and understanding are still needed as people will always live on the streets, Strano believes.

鈥淚t would be unfortunate if the rising sentiment became one of simply hoping to move people along or lock them up, since abandonment, rejection and derision is most often what set people on these trajectories in the first place and it is the opposite response that is needed to support a new trajectory,鈥� said George Passmore, director of personal and family counselling and support at Sources.

鈥楾rauma, marginalization鈥�

Passmore鈥檚 concern for the homeless population is supported by his experience in serving 鈥渕any people who have histories of significant trauma and social marginalization and having witnessed many people flourish when they are offered relationships that are genuinely compassionate and they have opportunities to belong and contribute meaningfully.鈥�

One incident that has stuck with Priscilla Dutt, a member of the Sources peer outreach team, happened when she was living in a tent. Somebody who lived in a nearby building started throwing their cat鈥檚 feces at her because they did not want her living near them.

鈥淎ll day, every day, all you have is people walking by you, looking down on you, thinking the worst of you. Whether or not you鈥檙e the worst, it doesn鈥檛 matter鈥� If you took all that in, you鈥檇 be destroyed.鈥�

Having a homeless shelter to reside in does not solve all concerns, such as mental illness, substance use and trauma, Strano said, and so, having a shelter is only scratching the surface.

Click to read part three

sobia.moman@peacearchnews.com
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