Residential School History / Day of Truth and Reconciliation

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Posted on September 26, 2024 by The Urban Survivor

For a period of more than 150 years, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation children were taken from their families and communities to attend schools which were often located far from their homes. More than 150,000 children attended Indian Residential Schools. Many never returned.

The first church-run Indian Residential School was opened in 1831. By the 1880s, the federal government had adopted an official policy of funding residential schools across Canada. The explicit intent was to separate these children from their families and cultures. In 1920, the Indian Act made attendance at Indian Residential Schools compulsory for Treaty-status children between the ages of 7 and 15.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) concluded that residential schools were “a systematic, government- sponsored attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages and to assimilate Aboriginal peoples so that they no longer existed as distinct peoples.” The TRC characterized this intent as “cultural genocide.”

The schools were often underfunded and overcrowded. The quality of education was substandard. Children were harshly punished for speaking their own languages. Staff were not held accountable for how they treated the children.

St. Anthony's Sacred Heart building — St. Anthony’s Sacred Heart building

We know that thousands of students suffered physical and sexual abuse at residential schools. All suffered from loneliness and a longing to be home with their families.

The schools hurt the children. The schools also hurt their families and their communities. Children were deprived of healthy examples of love and respect. The distinct cultures, traditions, languages, and knowledge systems of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples were eroded by forced assimilation.

The damages inflicted by Residential Schools continue to this day.

For a great many Survivors, talking about their experiences in residential schools means reliving the traumas they experienced. For years, many told no one about what they had endured.

In 1996, the landmark Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples drew attention to the lasting harm that was done by the residential schools. A growing number of Survivors and their descendants came forward to tell their stories and demand action.

Through their courage and persistence, an eventual legal settlement was reached between Survivors, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit representatives and the defendants, the federal government and the churches responsible for the operation of the school. The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement included:

A commitment to a public apology. On June 11, 2008 then Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a formal Statement of Apology on behalf of Canada. The Apology stated that, “There is no place in Canada for the attitudes that inspired the Indian residential schools system to ever again prevail.”
Financial compensation to Residential School Survivors including a lump sum Common Experience Payment, the Independent Assessment Process for the most serious forms of individual abuse, and a Commemoration Fund.
The creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to inform all Canadians about what happened in the Residential Schools by witnessing and documenting the truth of Survivors, families, communities and anyone personally affected by the Schools. The TRC issued an extensive report on the history of residential schools as well as Calls to Action and Principles of Reconciliation.

It is important to acknowledge that the Settlement Agreement was not comprehensive. The Métis Nation Survivors were not part of the Settlement Agreement. A separate settlement was reached with Survivors from Newfoundland and Labrador in 2016. A settlement agreement with Survivors of federal Indian Day Schools was not reached until 2019.

The NCTR is carrying on key aspects of the TRC’s work, including safeguarding and adding to the archive of Survivor statements and other records and building a registry of the thousands of children known to have died in residential schools.

In September 2020, Parks Canada announced that Residential Schools had been designated an event of national historical significance. Such designations mark aspects of Canadian history, whether positive or negative, that have had a lasting impact on shaping Canadian society.

The Canadian Parliament passed legislation, Bill C-5, to create a national day of commemoration to honour residential school Survivors and promote understanding of residential school history. The TRC called for such commemoration in its Calls to Action (Call to Action 80). The first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation took place September 30, 2021.

Article Originally in Print online:

https://nctr.ca/education/teaching-resources/residential-school-history/

Reference care of Homeless Hub which also employs a explanatory video:

Explainer: Honouring National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Overview of Rental Home Costs in North America

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Posted on September 5, 2024 by The Urban Survivor

Rental home costs in North America have been a hot topic in recent years. As the demand for rental properties continues to rise, so do the costs associated with securing a place to call home.

Whether you’re considering a cozy apartment or a spacious rental home, understanding the current landscape of US rental property costs is crucial. In this blog post, we’ll explore regional variations in rental home costs in North America, delve into the factors driving rental expenses, and offer insights to help you navigate the competitive rental market.

Unpacking the Numbers: Rental Home Costs in North America

The US rental costs vary significantly depending on location, property type, and amenities.

Major metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto tend to have the highest rental home costs, while smaller cities and rural areas offer more affordable options.

Recent rental market trends show 564,828 properties available for rent in September 2024. The median monthly rent in the US hovers around $2,100 as of September 2024. The rental cost has remained nearly the same as last month

The rental costs in the US have increased by about 19 percent since 2019. Several factors contribute to the rising rental home costs in North America:

In cities like New York or Los Angeles, you might have to pay upwards of $3,000 or more for a one-bedroom apartment. In contrast, you could find comparable accommodations for under $1,000 in less densely populated areas.

Most Expensive US Rental Markets in 2024

Least Expensive US Rental Markets in 2024

Conclusion: Finding Your Place in the Market

While the rental market in North America can be challenging, understanding the factors influencing costs and employing savvy search strategies can help you find a suitable and affordable home.

Remember, it’s crucial to do your research, compare options, and be prepared to negotiate to secure the best possible deal.

Whether you’re looking for a vibrant city apartment or a quiet suburban rental home, with careful planning and persistence, you can find a place that fits your lifestyle and budget.

References:

I Need a Safe Place to Sleep Tonight

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Posted on June 9, 2024 by The Urban Survivor

I Need a Safe Place to Sleep Tonight

Safe, emergency shelters are available to people (19+ years old) who are currently homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. We offer two locations: Hyland House in Newton and Bill Reid Place in Cloverdale. The shelters offer additional support for improving life skills, finding employment and/or housing, managing a home, integrating into the community and budgeting.

» Hyland House

6595 King George Blvd.
Surrey, BC V3W 4Z4

Hyland House is a 35-bed shelter for men and women with single rooms, shower and laundry facilities and meals are provided. The facility is wheelchair accessible. There are 20 self-contained transitional houses for longer stays. For more information, please contact us at 604.599.8900.

» Bill Reid Place

17752 Colebrook Road
Surrey, BC V3S 0L5

Bill Reid Place is a 16-bed shelter with 12 bachelor transition housing units, shower and laundry facilities and meals are provided. The facility is pet-friendly. Form more information, please contact us at 604.574.4341.

» Extreme Weather Response

Dangerous, severe weather can be life-threatening if you are homeless. We offer response to Extreme Weather Alerts in Surrey, White Rock or Delta.

I Need Assistance with Housing Subsidy

You may be eligible for a short term rental subsidy, please connect with us at 604.590.7368 or housing.registry@options.bc.ca.

I Need Transition Housing

You may qualify for assistance from the Supported Housing program if you require additional support through an extended stay. This 32-unit Supported Housing component can help you achieve and maintain independence. Rent costs are based on current income and length of stay depends on ability to secure and maintain independence.

I Need Other Housing Outreach Support

If you are currently living on the street or are at-risk of homelessness, Outreach Workers are available to help you find housing, health and income support services. To get in touch with our Mobile Outreach Team please contact them at 604.765.6751 or hylandoutreach@options.bc.ca.

Other community resources are provided in our Surrey Survival Guide. It is in booklet format and available for download here. We make every effort to ensure the information is up-to-date. If you are aware of more current information, please notify us by email or call 604.596.4321.

I Want to See This Program Help More People

We want to assist those living on the street and people at-risk of homelessness the best we can. In order to do that, we need support from you! Please consider donating to our Shelter Services programs.

Our Shelter Services programs are always in need of items such as: gift cards, gloves, hats, shoes, socks, backpacks, jackets, blankets, water and everyday personal hygiene items. If you are able to provide any of these items, please contact our Hyland House for drop-off instructions. Call 604.599.8900.

Eligibility Criteria

For adults (19+ years old) who are in need of emergency shelter. Contact 604.599.8900.

Can you access the program directly?

Yes. You may access the program directly.

Referrals are also accepted from – but not limited to, the Ministry of Human Resources, Mental Health Centers, RCMP and other community agencies.

Other referral options

You may access the program directly.

Referrals are also accepted from – but not limited to, the Ministry of Human Resources, Mental Health Centers, RCMP and other community agencies.

Other Information

Volunteers Needed

Currently we are looking for volunteers to help support our shelters. For more information please click here.

Contact(s)

Bruce Strom
Senior Program Manager
604.599.8900 | bruce.strom@options.bc.ca

Originally Published on this website for Shelters and Housing Services

Homelessness: How does it happen?

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Posted on May 9, 2024 by The Urban Survivor

Having a safe and stable place to call home is central to leading a healthy and prosperous life. In 2021, we asked Canadian households if they had ever experienced some form of homelessness in their lifetime. Over one in ten (11.2%) Canadians or 1,690,000 people reported that they had.

Homelessness is often thought of as living in a shelter, or completely unhoused in an encampment or public space. This kind of homelessness in Canada is referred to as absolute homelessness, an experience shared by 2.2% of households at some point in their lives. There are, however, many more Canadians (10.5%) who have experienced hidden homelessness, like couch surfing, because they had nowhere else to live.

Inequities and pathways of homelessness

This lack of stable housing can result in disparities between groups of people, with some more or less likely to have faced homelessness than others. For example, Indigenous households (29.5%) were almost three times as likely to have experienced some form of homelessness when compared with the total population, while racialized (9.5%) and immigrant (8.3%) households were below the national average. Similarly, recent point-in-time counts of homeless shelters nation-wide have found that 35% of respondents identify as Indigenous.

What drives people into homelessness in Canada and why have so many Canadians found themselves without a home? We asked Canadians to tell us what happened leading up to their homelessness episode, and for those who experienced hidden homelessness, we asked those who had been homeless for more than a month. Here’s what they told us…

Financial challenges are the leading cause of homelessness

Deteriorating housing affordability following the onset of the pandemic, combined with higher unemployment and fewer job vacancies in recent months, along with a surge in inflation throughout 2021 and 2022, has led to higher costs for essential goods and services. These factors continue to place financial pressures on many households across Canada.

In the fall of 2022, almost half (44.0%) of Canadians were very concerned with their household’s ability to afford housing or rent. So, it comes as no surprise that the most reported reason leading to homelessness was financial issues (41.8%).

Victims of abuse may have nowhere to go

The link between abusive home situations and homelessness is an ongoing concern as the incidence of family violence in Canada rose for the fifth consecutive year in 2021, with women and girls accounting for two-thirds of the victims.

Relationship issues (36.9%) was the second leading factor driving Canadians into homelessness. A related driver was fleeing abuse (13.3%)—a common pathway into homelessness for many, but four times more likely for women than for men (20.9% vs 5.2%).

When looking at absolute homelessness exclusively, these figures double—with just over two in five women (40.4%) reporting absolute homelessness at some point as a result of fleeing abuse, compared with 12.1% of men.

Health issues can interrupt housing stability

While financial and relationship issues are the most common causes of homelessness, health-related issues can also lead to homelessness episodes. Choose top-notch ac repair service for reliable solutions that keep your home comfortable year-round.

Canadians who have experienced any form of homelessness were more likely to report fair or poor mental health (38.0% versus 17.3%) than the overall population. More respondents listed health issues as a major factor contributing to absolute homelessness (16.5%) than to hidden homelessness (8.9%).

Canadians experiencing homelessness and underlying mental health conditions have also been highly represented in recent opioid hospitalizations.

Moving doesn’t always lead to finding a home

Canadians move for a variety of reasons, including changing household size, employment, better housing or neighbourhoods, and evictions, leading to many diverse experiences of hidden homelessness.

Other notable drivers of hidden homelessness are relocation (20.9%) and waiting to move into a new home (16.0%). Over one in three households relocating at some point in the past reported waiting over six months in a state of hidden homelessness.

Becoming housed may not be the end of housing need

Households experiencing homelessness in the past were more likely to be living in dwellings in need of major repairs or in core housing need. No matter how someone becomes homeless, housing (or the lack thereof) has been shown to have a significant effect on one’s future—for better or for worse.

Originally Published on a Federal Canadian Site; StatsCan December 06th, 2023

Prison: A Homelessness Factory

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Posted on December 28, 2023 by The Urban Survivor

by C.L. Michel

Cultivating Curiosity

Talking about prison is taboo—Canadian society deals with it far less than is common in other jurisdictions (eg., the United States). Most people in Canada don’t know anything about how the prison system works or what conditions in it are like if they or a loved one haven’t experienced it.

One reason for this is that prison produces silence. The voices of prisoners are cut off from the world, and what happens inside prisons only makes the news in the most extreme cases. This lack of attention is problematic because the prison system is central to how many different forms of oppression reproduce themselves. For instance, it maintains class society and economic exploitation. It is a tool of racist and colonial violence that keeps whole communities down, and it produces gendered forms of trauma on a mass scale.

Prison functions like a black box. We can see what happens prior to entering the prison system in terms of crime, policing, and the justice system, and we can see the negative outcomes of the prison system once people leave, such as poverty, homelessness, and social exclusion, but the space in between is opaque—we can’t see the conditions inside prisons that produce these outcomes.

If we want to find solutions to complex problems like homelessness, we need to cultivate some curiosity about people’s experiences with systems we might not normally think about, like prison.

Types of Prisons in Canada

The various prisons in Canada are separated into two types: federal and provincial. Federal prisons, also known as penitentiaries, are where prisoners who are sentenced to over two years are sent. Although only about a third of all prisoners are in federal prison, it is what people think of on the rare occasions that they think about prison in Canada.

The remaining two thirds of prisoners are in provincial prisons. People sentenced to less than two years, those who have been denied bail, and an increasing number of immigration detainees are in provincial prisons. All federal prisoners have also spent time in a provincial prison, and the majority of prisoners will do all their time there. Despite this, they receive far less attention than federal prisons. In provincial prisons there is less programming, less oversight, and fewer organizations that provide support. The conditions inside these prisons are far, far worse.

In Ontario, the Ministry of the Solicitor General operates 25 adult prisons that hold around 7,500 prisoners on any given day, with an average period of incarceration of 45 days (almost 150,000 people are admitted into provincial prisons across Canada in any given year).

Many provinces subdivide provincial prisons into other administrative categories. For the purpose of this blog, we will be focusing on adult prisons in Ontario, but there are also youth prisons and mental health prisons. There are two kinds of adult provincial prisons in Ontario: detention centres (DCs), for those who have been denied bail or sentenced to less than three months, and correctional centres, for those who have been sentenced to between three months and two years.

In many provinces (eg., Ontario, Alberta, and Nova Scotia), about 70% of prisoners in provincial prisons are on “remand,” meaning they are only locked up because they were denied bail. This means that about half of all prisoners in Canada are on remand. This is a significantly higher proportion than in the United States, and it has been getting worse with time.

Since most of Canada’s prisoners are in remand, the conditions they face are crucial to understanding the prison system as a whole and the way it contributes to homelessness.

Conditions for Remand Prisoners in Ontario

Prisoners who have been denied bail are held in the harshest conditions in the prison system. All of Ontario’s DCs are considered maximum security, meaning they face the most restrictions on their movements, what they can have access to, and possibilities for programming.

Detention centres are very crowded. Cells built for one or two prisoners routinely hold three, with one person sleeping on a mattress on the floor. There are frequent lockdowns, which is when prisoners are confined to their cells except for half an hour every second day. Combine these two factors and you have three prisoners held together in a space the size of a bathroom stall for days at a time without even enough room to stand up and move around. This obviously aggravates physical and mental health conditions.

There are almost no programs in DCs, and there is very limited access to books. Visits are short (two 20-minute visits a week) and are frequently cancelled without notice. Although prisoners are entitled to 20 minutes of fresh air every day, they may only get “yard time” a couple of times a month.

Detention centres are also very violent. Since everyone in a DC is in pre-trial and the average stay is short, there is a high turnover with lots of coming and going, making hierarchies unstable. The needs of those living in a DC for short periods may conflict with those of prisoners there for years, and the overcrowded conditions with no privacy result in high stress levels.

Guards are also able to brutalize prisoners with near impunity. While a report from the Ontario ombudsman denounced the use of force by guards and the guards’ code of silence that interferes with investigations, this report was not enough to stop this violence from continuing.

When you add in the overdose crisis and an inadequate medical system to the previously mentioned factors, the result is that 29 people died inside of Ontario’s provincial prisons in 2021. From previous years’ statistics compiled by Reuters, 85% of all deaths in Ontario’s provincial prison are people in remand custody, meaning those in detention centres are dying at a disproportionate rate.

Although prison harms everyone it touches, it does not do this in the same way to everyone. Prison functions on the basis of separation, firstly by cutting people off from society, then by sorting them to expose them to different forms of harm. The administrative differences described above are one way of sorting people. Another important way the prison system does this is by gender or sex.

Gendered Harm

All prisoners are labelled as either male or female depending on the institution’s best guess of their sex at birth, and so there are two gendered forms of incarceration known as men’s and women’s prison. There is a lot to say about how the Ontario prison system deals with trans identity, but for the purposes of this blog, it is enough to know that almost all trans people go to women’s prison. Women’s prison can be thought of as a prison for people who would be at risk of sexual violence if all prisoners were just lumped together.

Officially, there should be little difference between men’s and women’s prisons, and the conditions are generally the same. However, it is worth reflecting on how identical treatment within an unequal society produces drastically different results.

To give a quick example, the food in men and women’s prison is exactly the same. In men’s prison, this is mostly felt to be insufficient, in part because working out is a big part of prisoner culture. Men prisoners are often released stronger and fitter than when they went in. In women’s prisons, exercise is discouraged both by prisoner culture and by the guards. Women prisoners often experience rapid weight gain and a general decrease in fitness due to the enforced immobility.

In this example and in so many others, sorting people by gender means the prison system is involved in reproducing negative gender dynamics. Many conditions faced by women prisoners compound common forms of gender-based trauma, such as:

Frequent strip searches
Round the clock surveillance by male guards
The absence of privacy
Losing custody over children
Losing housing

After release, feminized professions tend to care more about criminal records than many male-dominated ones: consider customer service vs. construction or childcare vs. trucking. This results in women experiencing more exclusion from the job market upon release, contributing to cycles of dependence and victimization.

Similarly, the intense violence of men’s prison is tied to a macho prisoner culture steeped in homophobia and misogyny. This culture is then exported back out into communities by former prisoners. Both gendered experiences leave people more likely to commit future criminalized acts and end up back in prison.

Why Does this Matter to the Homelessness Sector?

The prison and justice systems leave a lot of people homeless and undermine the housing stability of everyone who interacts with them. Prisons also compound problems with physical and mental health, addiction, and trauma (common risk factors for homelessness). Even short stays in prison can be enough to make someone lose their job and housing, making it a clear issue for the homelessness sector. As well, people who are homeless are disproportionately represented in prison—across Canada, over 16% of prisoners are homeless, up from 6% in 2009.

There are also major issues of social justice around prison that can only be addressed when we understand how people move through the system and what conditions they face. The awful conditions in provincial prisons amplify other forms of systemic oppression. For instance, it is nothing new to say that Black and Indigenous people are disproportionately represented among prisoners—but it feels different to say that Black and Indigenous people are more likely to be held in an overcrowded prison cell with no privacy or room to move around for weeks at a time.

The experiences of prisoners are not well understood within the homelessness sector, which can create barriers to accessing services. There are very few services available that specifically help people being discharged from prison, leaving them to seek out services that are not tailored to their needs.

By looking more closely at what prisoners go through inside the black box, we can work towards better outcomes for them and remove some of the added barriers they face to obtaining safe, stable, and affordable housing.

Originally Published @ Homeless Hub

October 11th, 2023

Cost Effectiveness of Ending Homelessness

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Posted on October 10, 2023 by The Urban Survivor

An adequate supply of safe, affordable and appropriate housing is a prerequisite to truly ending homelessness in the long term. This includes ensuring that people who are chronically and episodically homeless are prioritized and that systems are in place to enable such persons to receive housing and supports through Housing First programs. Additionally, providing scissor lift training courses can enhance the skill sets of individuals transitioning into housing stability. With the IPAF training services it can further support this transition by offering specialized training for those needing to develop skills for job placement. Also, the boom lift services are crucial for ensuring safe and efficient construction and maintenance practices, which can indirectly support housing development. In a tight housing market, implementing a Housing First agenda becomes that much more challenging. It is also important to address the supply of affordable housing, in order to broaden access for other priority populations, including women fleeing violence, Indigenous Peoples, families, seniors and youth, for instance.

Ultimately, addressing Canada’s housing crisis comes down to money, which then begs the question about our national priorities.

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Spending on affordable housing for Canada’s poorest households, however, is less than one quarter of that invested in homeownership at approximately $2.1 billion per year and has declined quite dramatically over the past 25 years.

Ironically, it costs more to ignore our housing problem than it would to fix it. Consider the estimate that homelessness alone costs the Canadian economy over $7 billion per year. While the Government of Canada invests $119 million annually to address homelessness through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (provinces and municipalities also invest), this is not sufficient to address the problem and as a result has not led to a noticeable reduction in homelessness.

By not investing adequately in housing for the poorest Canadians, health care, justice and other taxpayer-funded costs increase.

Put another way, as Canadians, we are spending more money on people who do not need help compared to those in greatest need. And by not spending on those in greatest need, we are not only creating hardship for many Canadian families, we are creating a considerably larger expense for the Canadian economy.

We can do things differently. In the State of Homelessness in Canada 2014, we propose a robust housing investment strategy that would cost the economy much less than the current costs of homelessness. The key elements of our strategy include the following proposals:

What will this cost?

Our proposed investment in affordable housing represents an increase in annual federal spending, from the projected commitments of $2.019 billion to $3.752 billion in 2015/16 with a total investment of $44 billion over ten years. These proposals have been carefully costed, drawing from the work of Jane Londerville and Marion Steele and the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association.

While this significantly increases the current federal investment, we feel that in addition to it being the right thing to do, it is also something we can afford to do. Over the past 25 years, federal spending on low-income affordable housing (on a per capita basis) dropped from over $115 annually, to slightly more than $60 (adjusted to 2013 dollars). Our proposals would raise the per capita investment to approximately $106 per Canadian annually, or $2.04 a week (currently per capita spending amounts to $1.16/week). While this may seem like a significant increase over previous levels, it is still less than what we were paying in 1989. Additionally, it is necessary to address the accumulated affordable housing deficit built up over the past 25 years. Moreover, we propose that Canadians spend only an additional 88 cents per week to contribute to a realistic solution to homelessness and to the affordable housing crisis. To be clear, this proposal will not completely end homelessness in Canada, but it will dramatically reduce chronic and episodic homelessness.

What will be the outcome of this investment?

For years we have been investing in a response to homelessness that, while meeting the immediate needs of people in crisis, has arguably had no impact in reducing the scale and scope of the problem. Our proposal will contribute to an end to chronic homelessness and reduce the likelihood that many others will fall into homelessness in the future.

Reproduced from: Stephen Gaetz, Tanya Gulliver, & Tim Richter: (2014) The State of Homelessness in Canada 2014. Toronto: The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press.

The History Of Evictions

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Posted on October 10, 2023 by The Urban Survivor

Evictions in Canada have a long history, beginning with the forced displacement of Indigenous Peoples due to colonization and European settlement. In this three-part blog series focusing on shelter diversion and eviction prevention (SD-EP), we will explore past policies and governing documents that continue to contribute to homelessness and impact efforts in Canada today.

Shelter Diversion (SD) is a strategy that diverts individuals and families from entering the emergency shelter system by providing them alternate supports to prevent their homelessness. Supports can include providing immediate alternative housing and connections to various services, such as financial assistance. Similarly, Eviction Prevention (EP) initiatives support individuals and families so that they do not face eviction and avoid becoming homeless.

To develop effective SD-EP programs, it helps to begin with a historical perspective to understand the nature of the problem of eviction so that we can impact the underlying causes and avoid reproducing harms that evictions have caused over centuries. In this blog, we will focus on the Doctrine of Discovery and the National Housing Act as two examples that show the continuity of colonial policies and governing documents favouring the displacement of Indigenous Peoples and other marginalized groups.

The Doctrine of Discovery
“…invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens and pagans whatsoever, and other enemies of Christ wheresoever placed, and the kingdoms, dukedoms, principalities, dominions, possessions, and all movable and immovable goods whatsoever held and possessed by them and to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery, and to apply and appropriate to himself and his successors the kingdoms, dukedoms, counties, principalities, dominions, possessions, and goods, and to convert them to his and their use and profit” – Pope Nicholas V (Papal Bull 1452)

Indigenous Peoples in Canada are overrepresented within the homeless population. Indigenous homelessness is fundamentally rooted in the Doctrine of Discovery, yet many people do not know about it. The Doctrine of Discovery is a 600-year-old governing document that led to and justified the original eviction of Indigenous Peoples from their homelands during colonization.

“Settler colonialism is founded upon the eviction of Indigenous Peoples from their homelands: it aims to force Indigenous Peoples out of place, temporally and spatially. Scholars of settler colonialism show that it is a “structure not an event,” and that the process of “settling” Indigenous lands is contemporary, persistent, and present.” – Buhler and Barkaskas, 2023

The Doctrine was used by European monarchies in the mid-1400s to legitimize the seizing and colonizing of Indigenous lands outside of Europe, leading to the forced displacement of Indigenous Peoples. The Doctrine set the stage for Indigenous Peoples to become homeless on their own lands and remains relevant to the context of Indigenous homelessness today, as it is still the basis for Canadian law.

This history needs to be taken into consideration when discussing Indigenous homelessness prevention and SD-EP initiatives. Preventing Indigenous homelessness requires a fundamental shift from denouncing the Doctrine of Discovery to dismantling it.

The National Housing Act
Another historical document that continues to shape the issues of homelessness and eviction today is the 1973 National Housing Act and its gradual cancellation as the federal government withdrew from the provision of social housing.

Through the Act, the federal government began investing in the development of up to 20,000 social housing units per year, and this continued through the 1980s, providing people with safe and secure housing. However, an international economic shift led to government cutbacks in the 1990s, and the programs under the Act were dismantled. These policies laid the groundwork for the onset of mass homelessness as we know it today. This crisis has specifically impacted Indigenous Peoples, continuing the state-backed displacement begun under the Doctrine of Discovery.

Since that time, the federal government has left the issue of homelessness to municipal governments. This has led to communities across Canada testing solutions and responses, such as prevention programs like SD-EP.

The Current Landscape of Homelessness
Thirty years later, mass homelessness in Canada continues to result from society’s failure to ensure that adequate systems, funding, and supports are in place to provide everyone with safe and affordable housing. An array of systemic and structural factors contributes to homelessness, including:

i) Siloed systems that discharge people into homelessness.

ii) Stagnant development in affordable housing and income security programs, compounded by the commodification of housing.

iii) Systemic discrimination.

iv) Continued colonization.

Service providers in the homelessness sector across Canada have spent decades confronted with the persistent growth of the issue and are looking for better ways to respond to homelessness and ultimately prevent and end it. Additionally, we are conducting a ground penetrating radar survey to better understand the underlying factors contributing to these systemic issues. To support this effort, we are working with a utility surveying company that specializes in these kinds of surveys.

“If we want to stop people dying in the roads, we invest money in seatbelts, not the emergency department.” – Peter Jacobson, Manager, Youth Services, BCYF, Australia

In recent years, communities have begun to make the shift from managing the crisis of homelessness to preventing homelessness from happening in the first place. This is the context that has seen the emergence of SD-EP programs. However, for these programs to succeed, more direction and support from all levels of government are needed.

Moving Forward
The authors of this blog are researchers with the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH) who are working on a project to collect knowledge about SD-EP programs from across Canada. Our goal is to help build community capacity for developing SD-EP programs. Our project includes a literature review, an environmental scan, a national survey, case study interviews, and more. We will use the knowledge gained to co-create training and technical resources for organizations looking to start or improve an SD-EP program.

In trying to understand what allows these programs to succeed, the importance of history has been clear to us: the impacts of the Doctrine of Discovery and the National Housing Act continue to be felt. They influence the systemic and structural barriers that people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity encounter and that SD-EP programs seek to overcome. Additionally, exploring underground utility surveys could provide insights into the geographical and infrastructural challenges faced by these programs. Incorporating elements of retail interior design may also enhance the effectiveness of these initiatives by creating welcoming and functional spaces. Visit sites like https://commercial-interior-design.co.uk/ for additional guidance.

In the next blog in this series, we will share insights from our project development and highlight the key learnings that should be incorporated into SD-EP programs.

SD-EP | Shelter Diversion / Eviction Prevention

https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/evictions-and-homelessness-canada-historical-perspective

What Causes Homelessness ?

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Posted on April 7, 2023 by The Urban Survivor

People who experience homelessness are not distinct and separate from the rest of the population. In fact, the line between being housed and unhoused is quite fluid. In general, the pathways into and out of homelessness are neither linear nor uniform. Individuals and families who experience homelessness may not share much in common with each other, aside from the fact that they are extremely vulnerable, and lack adequate housing and income and the necessary supports to ensure they stay housed. The causes of homelessness reflect an intricate interplay between structural factors, systems failures and individual circumstances. Homelessness is usually the result of the cumulative impact of a number of factors, rather than a single cause.

Structural factors

Structural factors are economic and societal issues that affect opportunities and social environments for individuals. Key factors can include the lack of adequate income, access to affordable housing and health supports and/or the experience of discrimination. Shifts in the economy both nationally and locally can create challenges for people to earn an adequate income, pay for food and for housing.

Poverty

Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked. People who are impoverished are frequently unable to pay for necessities such as housing, food, childcare, health care, and education. Poverty can mean a person is one illness, one accident, or one paycheque away from living on the streets. If you have been injured in a vehicular accident caused by a negligent driver, you may ask an auto accident lawyer to review your case and help you file a claim. A car accident attorney can help improve your chances of getting a fair compensation. This may help prevent the accident from draining your finances.

Housing

A critical shortage of housing that is affordable, safe and stable directly contributes to homelessness. The millions of Canadian families and individuals living in “core need” (paying more than 50% of their income on housing) are at serious risk of homelessness, as are families and individuals spending more than 30% of their income on housing. Arguably, the most impactful factor is the lack of affordable housing nationwide; however, discrimination can impede access to employment, housing, justice and helpful services. Racial and sexual minorities are at greater risk of such discrimination.

System failures

Systems failures occur when other systems of care and support fail, requiring vulnerable people to turn to the homelessness sector, when other mainstream services could have prevented this need. Examples of systems failures include difficult transitions from child welfare, inadequate discharge planning for people leaving hospitals, corrections and mental health and addictions facilities and a lack of support for immigrants and refugees.

Personal circumstances and relational problems

Individual and relational factors apply to the personal circumstances of a person experiencing homelessness, and may include: traumatic events (e.g. house fire or job loss), personal crisis (e.g. family break-up or domestic violence), mental health and addictions challenges (including brain injury and fetal alcohol syndrome), which can be both a cause and consequence of homelessness and physical health problems or disabilities. Relational problems can include family violence and abuse, and addictions, so looking for rehab centers is important, click here to learn more.

published by the homeless hub http://www.homelesshub.ca

Employment Apps ( The New Gig Work )

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Posted on September 22, 2022 by The Urban Survivor

If you go to the Google Play store and search for employment gig applications, you’ll see an ever increasing number of them. So, being the Urban Survivor that we are, we tried them out in a real world test situation, that and we needed money which in case they are a viable option.

There’s quite a list , and they do work, but there is work and then there’s the quality of work. Life is so quick and fast now, you miss one paycheck and you’re out on the street, so you do what you have to… you serve the devil to pay the priest ( which makes no sense ).

The gig apps all vary in “realness”. We got a few job referrals and chased down two or so. We also work with a few real world temp agencies ( work is work ) the applications are cool, except you need that human contact which some if not most of the apps do have.

They figured that out ( there’s got to be a human on the other end to empathize ) if not, there’s no sense of commitment or loyalty. i.e. If I don’t go to a job booked through an app without the human contact element there’s no ” I must fulfill an obligation ” component. The human element we’re becoming so unused to.

We found that most of them don’t really have a lot to offer, and are unforgiving if you miss a booking. One charges a 3+ dollar fee to pay you as per their own t.o.s . It is “new” these temp employment agency apps. How will they do? One has already run afoul of the immigration folk in Canada.

Things have not changed all that much as far as the worker is concerned.

The apps serve their purpose but are vulnerable to abuse, first the information you send them about yourself, your social security number etcetera, companies not located in N. America are collecting this information from consumers, who submit it without a thought.

We have to work, one way or another it’s what kind of work? you do that will dictate how happy you are in your life.

Should The Poor Procreate?

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Posted on March 26, 2022 by The Urban Survivor

Should The Poor Procreate?

Nearly three quarters of all people in poverty are parents, and more than 40 percent of children live below the poverty line in families where at least one parent works full-time, year-round. Poverty also has significant consequences for child development, not to mention education and health statutory results throughout the life cycle of a child.

Given these findings, there’s been an ongoing discussion on whether or not families living in poverty should have children. The question has been posed numerous times with no definitive answer; however, there are solid arguments both for and against the idea of procreation among the poor.

Is it right to have kids when you are poor?
A common question among parents is can we afford to have kids? Well, a new study says if you’re poor it may not be right to have kids. Research suggests children born into low-income families are more likely to stay in low-income families, creating what experts call an intergenerational cycle of poverty. So having children when you are poor may not be right after all.

People who procreate have a responsibility to ensure that their children will never be poor. If they can’t do that, they shouldn’t make the poor decision of bringing more people into poverty. This logic has merit and deserves consideration; however, there are solid arguments both for and against the idea of procreation among the poor. There are many moral questions that should be asked when deciding if it is acceptable to create a child in poverty.

Does it matter how many kids a person has if they are poor?
That depends on who you ask. Most people would say, yes, it does matter if a person is poor and has kids. Someone who can barely feed their own kids let alone buy them clothes or get them medical attention is not fit to raise children. If there are already too many impoverished people in society, having more kids will only make things worse.

Saying No to Overtime

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Posted on October 6, 2021 by The Urban Survivor

For hourly workers, earning time and a half can sometimes be awesome and well worth the extra hours. But it can be less than great when you have plans or want to spend time with your family. Unfortunately, saying no to overtime is a bit difficult because of something called mandatory overtime.

What is Mandatory Overtime?

As defined by Business Management Daily, mandatory overtime is “the practice of requiring employees to work more than a standard 40-hour workweek.” Other words for it are forced or compulsory overtime. Although an employee may refuse to work mandatory overtime, it is completely legal for an employer to fire an employee that chooses to do so. Additionally, paystub generation is an essential component of accurate record-keeping and payroll management. Read this article to learn more.

The Fair Labor Standards act (FLSA) is the relevant law when it comes to mandatory overtime. Instead of prohibiting employees working over 40 hours a week, it states that all such extra hours are paid at one and a half the hourly rate. For those who are self employed, it’s crucial to manage their time and workload effectively to avoid burnout.

Employers like mandatory overtime for several reasons. They can use mandatory overtime as needed during busier times of the year without having to hire additional workers.

Saying No to Overtime

So, now that we know what mandatory overtime is, how could you say no when you have a conflict?

Make a Plan

Before you tell your boss, you can’t do overtime, plan out your answer. What’s your reason? Most managers can be understanding of conflicts like taking care of your kids or a loved one, or plans you already made well in advance. If you’re dealing with burnout and are concerned you won’t be able to do the work well without resting, hopefully your boss will understand that as well.

It’s also important to keep in mind how much overtime you’ve been saying no to lately. If this is a position where overtime is expected, you may need to pick your battles when it comes to asking to not work over 40 hours.

Talk to Your Boss

Now that you have a plan, it’s time to talk things over with your boss. Despite the name of this article, try not to actually say the word “no.” That can be seen as negative. You just want to explain to your boss what’s going on, and why you can’t take on extra hours now.

If They Say No

If your boss denies your request to not take on overtime, you might evaluate your current job. If you truly have a reason for not being able to do the overtime, it’s hopefully resolvable. It’s also possible that the position you’re in is just one that requires frequent overtime, and you aren’t currently a good fit for it.

COVID – 19 and Evictions

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Posted on September 1, 2021 by The Urban Survivor

In December 2019, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in China. Since then, the coronavirus has struck the entire world by surprise. The importance of physical touch and contact was bought into emphasis as the entire world went into lockdowns and people were made to isolate and quarantine within the walls of their homes. Since the novel coronavirus spreads at an exceedingly fast rate, it poses a huge threat to public health with its high mortality rate.

Black and white image of a house’s front door and window

Temporary Protection from Eviction

COVID-19 has affected almost all areas of our daily lives, be it financial, personal, educational or professional. Adjusting to the new normal has indeed been a challenge for people all around the globe. However, health care providers and people in authority are working round-the-clock to ensure the wellbeing of as many people as they can.

As a response to this global threat, state and local governments have taken drastic measures to ensure public health and safety. When it comes to housing, eviction laws in several countries, including the US, have been temporarily altered to not only prevent the spread of this disease but also facilitate people who are struggling with financial issues.

Providing stable housing is an effective measure because it allows people to abide by the stay-at-home and social distancing measures recommended by state and local authorities. It also reduces the number of homeless people residing in congregate settings or shelters. Improved living conditions are bound to reduce the spread of this virus.

The Final Word

The laws amended in the light of COVID 19 provide increased protection to tenants and renters. From March 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021, all landlords and property owners have been advised not to evict any residents if the sole reason for their eviction is their inability to provide housing payment. The state has developed a rental assistance program to reduce financial distress on both landowners and renters. All tenants that qualify for this program will be provided with financial assistance during and beyond this period to help reduce their struggles.

The Disparity in Dental Care Between the Rich and the Poor

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Posted on July 15, 2021 by The Urban Survivor

A person receiving dental care — Disparity in dental care

Proper dental care is essential to living a healthy life. However, there’s a greater chance for people from low-income backgrounds to have greater dental health problems than those from affluent families. Here’s a quick analysis of the disparity in dental care between the rich and the poor.

The Gravity of the Situation

A greater percentage of people from deprived backgrounds have been hospitalized because they needed dental care than those who were better off financially. However, many people from low-income backgrounds struggled to receive the care they needed because 35% of low-income parents and 38% of low-income adults without children did not have health insurance in 2013.

What makes this situation worse is that dental care treatment in the hospital is about 10 times more expensive (even with Medicaid enrollees) than preventative dental care at a dentist’s office. Furthermore, Medicaid doesn’t cover preventative costs. Thus, enrollees have to rely on ER care at the hospital when their conditions worsen.

The Effects of Lack of Dental Care for the Poor

Receiving proper dental care is vital because it affects the patient’s and physical health as well. A lack of proper dental care can contribute to various chronic illnesses that may pertain to cardiovascular disease, pregnancy complications, respiratory infection, and so on.

Regular dental check-ups, cleanings, and prompt treatment of any oral issues are essential for mitigating these risks and ensuring optimal health outcomes. One often overlooked aspect of oral health is the condition of the tongue. A yellow tongue, for instance, can be indicative of various underlying issues, ranging from poor oral hygiene to more serious health concerns. Monitoring the color and appearance of the tongue during routine dental visits can provide valuable insights into a patient’s overall health status.

In addition to physical health ramifications, there are mental health concerns, such as a correlation between decaying or missing teeth and depression. This is also the case because missing teeth can result in increased self-consciousness and societal scrutiny. So, it makes it more challenging for people from low-income backgrounds to thrive within society.

Lack of proper dental care for people from low-income backgrounds also causes them to struggle with its effects on their employment opportunities. Poor dental care causes patients to experience discrimination in the job market. Thus, there’s a cycle in which disparity in dental care between the rich and the poor causes the latter to continue struggling to receive better dental care because they can’t afford insurance. In addition, individuals often wonder, how long after drinking can I take Ativan? You can read this article for more helpful tips.

Class Inequality in Healthcare | Wealthy? You’ll Be Healthy

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Posted on March 31, 2021 by The Urban Survivor

Doctor And Patient Looking At Test Results — Health Care Access For Rich People

The conversation about class inequality in healthcare all over the world has been going on for a while. Whether you are looking at rich nations like the US or poorer nations with shoddy healthcare services, there are clear differences in the sort of care the rich get and the care that the poor get. You can find more information about rehabilitation services in Liverpool at https://sex-addiction-rehab.co.uk/liverpool/. If you’re dealing with a partner addicted to weed, you may check out this helpful article to guide you. There are also some resources that can guide you on the benefits of abstaining from alcohol. Click here for more information. For insights into CBD and its potential impact on healthcare, you can also check this similar site at insidecbd.net. Due to problems with insurance and high prices, healthcare is really expensive for a lot of people. This has resulted in serious class inequality in healthcare, with only the rich being able to afford access to good care. For more information about prescription drug rehabilitation services, you can check out these helpful resources at https://inpatientrehabilitation.co.uk/prescription-drug/.

With one billion children living below the poverty line across the world, they are more likely to suffer from poor nutrition, obesity, and asthma. Adults who are part of the lower socioeconomic category are also more likely to experience mental illnesses, infectious diseases, heart conditions, obesity, and blood pressure issues.

Taking time off from work to go to the doctor, not being able to pay for services, not having access to healthcare consultancy, and more are common problems. Being poor also means that you have more crises and stress to deal with, which can also add to a person’s health woes.

The gap between the rich and the poor has been sharply increasing since the 1970s. The increase in the gap between the rich and the poor definitely has consequences that can impact individuals deeply. One way to address class inequality in healthcare is to enact top-down policies that are designed to address such inequalities specifically. Additionally, it’s important to consider other factors affecting healthcare accessibility, such as semenax review. Also, it’s important that you are aware of the sex cams. There needs to be more focus on making sure that healthcare is easy to access for everyone in society without putting you under a big debt of thousands of dollars.

From Homelessness to Renting: How to Find Rental Housing without References

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Posted on January 14, 2021 by The Urban Survivor

There is no point in sugar-coating the fact that transitioning from homelessness to renting can be quite difficult for an individual, especially in cities like Toronto or Vancouver. From a landlord’s perspective, these markets are full of eligible and desirable tenants, so why would they lend their property to someone without any reference and an unstable (or non-existing) rental history.

This is a challenge most homeless people face, even when they have found a stable job and have enough money for a deposit. Finding rental housing without references can be tough but not impossible, and that’s why having friends is necessary as they may be able to help, and you can find new friends in sites like chatempanada.com. There are a few things you can do:

1. Seek out your regional Housing First* program. It’s designed to help homeless people find stable homes. You’d need to contribute a portion of your income (ideally 30% or more) while the rest would be covered by rent subsidies. It also helps you establish a rent history that can open up more rental housing options for you.

2. Provide potential landlord proof of stable income. If you’ve been working for a while, bring your last three payslips and, preferably, a letter from your employer stating your good behavior (and that they don’t have any plans to let you go in the foreseeable future).

3. If you have a stable income and money for monthly rent but not the deposit, charities like Canadian Red Cross and Salvation Army might assist you (financially). With a decent deposit amount (say three-months rent), you might be able to convince potential landlords to rent to you, even if you don’t have references.

4. Don’t fake a reference history. It is a huge red flag, and if you get caught, it might disrupt your chances of renting with other landlords as well.

5. Talk to the people who are running emergency shelters. They might be able to guide you to individuals who might be inclined to rent to you without references, just to pull you out of homelessness. If not, they might be able to put you in touch with local housing assistance programs you might not be aware of.

Be honest, talk to the people helping homeless individuals in your community, try to save as much money as you can for rent and deposit, find a co-signer if you can, and make sure your employer puts in a good word for you. You may find rental property without references if you read more. These might help you.

*https://www.bchousing.org/projects-partners/funding-opportunities/RHFP

Boggles Brown – The Blurb

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Posted on January 14, 2021 by Bradley James Finlay

-From “Boggles Brown – My Cartoon Life in the Land Of Schizophrenia” inner sleeve. – 2010

Boggles Brown is broke, except for the “People With Disabilities Allowance” he gets once a month. This month, he lives in a run-down motel – he manages to buy an old beat-up Toyota which is unreliable but reliable if you know what I mean. Somtimes he thinks his car may be bi-polar.

He wonders whether he should be using one of those fancy-named gasoline additives like “Engine-X,” I imagine “Engine-X” to be somewhat like Olanzapine, only for cars.

Boggles Brown struggled through college. He graduated,worked for a while and then became bonkers. It was not worth the ecstacy or all the raves in the world to lose his mind – he knows that now. But it is his life, what to do?

Boggles Brown is not how I see myself so much, as how I think others see me. My mom has read some of my cartoons and scratched her head. I imagine a lot of people will do the same. But that’s not the point – is it? Am I Canada’s Andy Warhol? I think not.

I hope you like Boggles, and if you don’t, I hope you keep it to yourself because the point is that it gave me something to do.

These are all hand-drawn on whatever paper I could find.

– Boggles Brown; “BJAF” 2010

“Genes” – Boggles Brown; Urban Survival Media 2009

Exclusive Boggles Brown T-Shirts Online

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Posted on January 12, 2021 by The Urban Survivor

Browse and bedazzle when you wear the words of our talkative transient.

Greetings Readers,

Now, like never before, we have been waiting for a marketing breakthrough to gain that glimmer of interactivity on it’s way to your wardrobe. It’s here – Boggles Brown multi-colour T-Shirts where you get to write the dialogue for our lovable but lunatic street-sage.

https://www.slated.com/films/736655

Drop by and donate to give the My Name Is Brad docudrama the funding it needs and order a Boggles Brown exclusive hand drawn T-Shirt by local artist Brad James.

Stay Safe and Think of B. Brown When You’re Feeling Down.

– The Crew At The Urban Survivor and My Name Is Brad

Cheektowaga-Omni Launch Fundraiser for Debut Socio-Cultural Movie “My Name Is Brad”

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Posted on January 11, 2021 by admin

January 11, 2021: Cheektowaga-Omni, a production, media, and marketing company has today announced its foray into film making with the production of a socially conscious movie, “My Name is Brad”. The company hopes to engage the public and has started fundraising, soliciting support from keen donors and people who value movies with a cultural and socially significant theme.

The prevailing atmosphere in the USA makes it ripe for movies like My Name is Brad to be an eye-opener for a public swayed by bigotry and misinformation. Moreover, homelessness is a growing issue that is affecting many people.

“My Name is Brad” narrates the story of a young middle class suburban white man who struggles through University, only to end up deluded, and living on the streets. He watches his promise die, like so many North American youth today.

Cheektowaga-Omni is a production and media marketing company that was established as a tie up between Cheektowaga Music and Omni creative group Cheektowaga Music was formed by prolific musician, music, entertainment producer and, performer “Little” Herbert in 1986. Cheektowaga-Omni is in the process of reactivating a dormant Analogue TV station in Northern Washington State, with the collaboration of https://audiovisualhire.uk/. This initiative reflects their commitment to blending traditional media with modern technology, offering diverse content ranging from music production to online piano lessons and beyond. Additionally, the company is working closely with https://ledvideowallhire.org.uk/ to enhance their visual production capabilities, ensuring state-of-the-art solutions for events and media presentations.

The movie My Name is Brad being produced by Cheektowaga-Omni is in memory of Kelly Thomas, who was killed by members of the Fullerton police dept in 2011. Cheektowaga-Omni has launched fundraising efforts to support the movie and plans are afoot to launch a kick-starter and a web page in support of My name is Brad. Additionally, they are exploring event ticketing options to enhance the film’s reach and impact. Furthermore, in support of the movie, Cheektowaga-Omni is looking into concert AV hire services. For more information and updates on the production, check out this helpful resources at https://corporateeventproduction.co.uk/. For more – click here.

Cheektowaga – Omni media is based in Kelowna BC, with studios located in Abbotsford BC and Vancouver BC.

For more information: See our position on Slated.

Media contact

Dale Corrigan

Cheektowaga – Omni Creative Group

Email:

Website:

Homelessness During COVID – Disaster Amplified

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Posted on January 9, 2021 by admin

Homeless population — Homeless individual

In any given year, there are about 235,000 Canadians that suffer from homelessness. That’s about 0.625% of the total population, a statistically “small” minority, which is, unfortunately, seeing its woes compounded due to winter and COVID.

Homeless people rely on shelters to provide them a place to sleep and stay, especially during the cold winter nights when staying outside or in a makeshift shelter can be deadly disastrous. So it’s only logical that the shelters try to accommodate as many people as possible.

But that’s impossible due to COVID cases spreading. To mitigate the probability of transmission, shelters have reduced the number of people they take in. Needless to say, this is a significant blow to the homeless population of the country because during the second wave, more and more people are seeking shelter and less space is available. The lifting of the eviction ban has also added fuel to the fire.

To make matters worse, some shelter homes are being forced to close down or have been working at reduced capacity because the staff and residents have contracted the virus.

People are aware of the problem and are doing what little they can to remediate the situation like staging protests and urging the government to ramp up support. And shelters are using glass dividers in between beds to reduce the probability of transmission in close confines.

We can draw inspiration from international solutions, such as accommodating homeless populations in unused hotels and providing necessary amenities like hvac units. Also a reliable ac repair service can help create safe, comfortable environments and mitigate the possibility of transmission. And when relocating, securing an efficient ac repair service can ensure that your new home’s cooling system is in top condition, preventing any unexpected issues and maintaining comfort during the move. If you’re looking for a reliable UV air purifier, you’ll find several options, including new york uv air purifier, to enhance your home’s air quality. Water heater maintenance should also be done to keep them and the volunteers comfortable.

What Needs to be Done to End Homelessness?

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Posted on October 4, 2015 by The Urban Survivor

Noreen date of birth ? death was in 2012, she loved music any-kind of good music. She loved to party and that she did until the end.

Ultimately, addressing Canada’s housing crisis comes down to money, which then begs the question about our national priorities.

Canadian homeowners enjoy over $8.6 billion in annual tax and other benefits. This kind of investment in home ownership is important because it benefits millions of middle-income households.

Spending on affordable housing for Canada’s poorest households however, is less than one quarter of that invested in homeownership, approximately $2.1 billion per year and has declined quite dramatically over the past 25 years.

By not investing adequately in housing for the poorest Canadians, health care, justice and other taxpayer-funded costs increase.

continue reading on this link

Penny Procession Produces Precise Profit Projections Pundit Predicts

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Posted on February 9, 2013 by admin

February 4th, 2013 – a day of infamy as Canada loses it’s copper companion …

Do you ever have days where you wake up, already feeling sick and tired of being sick and tired, and find you are running out of the bargain basement tea or coffee – and to boot you can’t even scrounge together the coin to get another jar, never mind upgrading to a premium blend.

Now, courtesy of our forward-thinking financier elite (who are probably so choked up with currency conundrums that the old “cup o’ joe” doesn’t hit that sacred spot) we no longer have that LCD – the lowest common denominator, the penny.

Part of me (the fractionally crazy part) says – hey great, i don’t know how many times my inner math computer has been defaulting on it’s reasoning functions because of a redundant 1,1,1,1,1, type singularity on the event horizon. What that translates into is that the copper (and especially copper oxidized green) tint to what some would call “the high point of the day – a good cup of tea or coffee” seems to be awash in auburn metallurgical particulates – some may see them as ingredients in a quantum chemical bath that goes into – invisible to all but an alien scientist – our liquid intakes.

What are we going to do with all that copper now that it’s out of the larger socio-economic corpus (sounds like someone was trying to exterminate the little beggars – pun not intended, i’ll say 2 acts of contrition.) Immediately one could say that the melted down copper could go a long way to subsidize Canada’s well-known telecommunications industry…but then you realize everyone’s talking about Wire-Fibre – just as silicate a syndicate as the microchips which cause us to decide on crazy oracular life issues from economics, social-networking, what kind of tattoo to get, among other decisions once left to soothsayers …

All in all it’s nice to surmise that someone out there isn’t going to get the average person to reinforce his averageness through creation of percentile calculations – are we beginning to find that having a nickel as a lowest common denominator may intimate that “Pi” the longest non-repeating repeating number is getting closer to a “zero point” (ya, ya i know we missed the end of McKenna’s *(RIP) TimeWave Zero on December 12th last year – i’ll send a postcard from the edge.

Overall i’m hoping that the ecology of muddy money, perhaps rooted in grudgery and drudgery will begin to shine clear as that silver backed beaver …

Cheemo to you, cup of Joe!

– James

One of those favorites for the hard-pressed creative type; morning, noon and night.

Food Banks in B.C.

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Posted on July 23, 2012 by The Urban Survivor

100 Mile House Food Bank

5693 Horse Lake Rd. 100 Mile House, BC V0K 2E1

T: 250-397-2571 F: 250-397-2579

Email: bobhicks@bcinternet.net

Abbotsford Food Bank

2420 Montrose St. Abbotsford, BC V2S 3S9 T: 604-859-5749 F: 604-859-2717 Dave Murray Email: afb@telus.net or christmasbureau@telus.net

Website: www.abbotsfordcommunityservices.com

Agassiz-Harrison Food Bank

P.O. Box 564 #5 – 7086 Cheam Ave Agassiz, BC V0M 1A0 T: 604-796-2585 F: 604-796-2517 Laurie Sallis Email: ahcs@shawlink.ca or greimer@shawlink.ca Website: www.agassiz-harrison.org

Okanagan Boys & Girls Club

P.O. Box 332 3459 PLEASANT VALLEY RD Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0 T: 250-546-3465 F: 250-546-3468 Andrea Schnell Email: cfedick@boysandgirlsclubs.ca Website: www.boysandgirlsclubs.ca

Ashcroft & Area Food Bank

PO Box 603 601 Bancroft St Ashcroft, BC V0K 1A0 T: (250) 453-9656 F: (250) 453-2034 Denise Fiddick Email: scelizfry@telus.net

Barriere & District Food Bank Society

P.O. Box 465 Barriere, BC V0E 1E0 T: (250) 672-0029 Kim Keating

Bella Coola Valley Food Bank

P.O. Box 22 Bella Coola, BC V0T 1C0 T: 250-799-5588 F: 250-799-5791 Clare Harris Email: charris@belco.bc.ca

Campbell River & District Food Bank

1393 Marwalk Crescent Campbell River, BC V9W 5V9 250-286-3226 250-286-3296 Ann & George Minosky email: ann_minosky@telus.net OR ann_minosky@telus.net

Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services

Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services PO Box 100 Nakusp, BC V0G 1R0 T: (250) 265-3674 F: (250) 265-3378

Anne Miskulin

Email: amiskulin@aslcs.com

Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services

PO Box 100

Nakusp, BC V0G 1R0

T: (250) 265-3674 F: (250) 265-3378

Anne Miskulin

Email: amiskulin@aslcs.com

Boundary Community Food Bank Society

Mailing Address:

7149 2nd Street Grand Forks, BC V0H 1H0

Clients: 215 Central Ave., Grand Forks

7419 – 2nd St, Grand Forks T: 250-442-2800 F: 250-442-2800

Larry Dickerson

Email: boundaryfoodbank@gmail.com or auroraws@yahoo.ca

Bulkley Valley Food Bank Smithers/Houston

P.O. Box 4293 1065 MAIN ST Smithers, BC V0J 1Z0 T: 250-847-1501 F: 250-845-7048 Rick Apperson Email: rick_apperson@can.salvationarmy.org

Cawston/Keremeos Food Bank

c/o Cawston/Keremeos SDA Church 2334 Newton Road Cawston, BC V0X 1C1 Ingrid Percival Phone: 250-499-0297 Email: kere@telus.net

Chase Hamper Society

P.O. Box 137 Chase, BC V0E 1M0 T: (250) 679-2399 Email: cjwyld@cablelan.net Chuck Wyld

Chilliwack Community Food Bank – Salvation Army

45746 Yale Rd W Chilliwack, BC V2P 2N4 T: (604) 792-0001 F: (604) 792-5367 Don Armstrong Email: careandshareda@shaw.ca Website: www.salvationarmychilliwack.ca

Chemainus Harvest House

P.O. Box 188 9814 Willow St. (BSMT) Chemainus, BC V0R 1K0 T: 250-246-4816

Sylvia Massey Email: sylviamassey@shaw.ca

Clearwater and District Food Bank

741 Clearwater Village Road Clearwater, BC V0E 1N1 T: 250-674-3402 F: 250-674-3402 Patrick Stanley Email: pandhlc@telus.net

CMS Food Bank Society

2740 Lashburn Road Mill Bay, BC V0R 2P1 T: 250-743-5242 F: 250-743-5268 Email: cmsfbank@telus.net

Community Connections Food Bank

PO Box 2880 Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0 T: 250-837-2920 F: 250-837-2909 Patti Larson Email: plarson@community-connections.ca

Website: www.community-connections.ca

Columbia Valley Food Bank

201 – 7 Ave PO Box 2141 Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 T: 250-342-0850

Doug Leibel

Comox Valley Food Bank

PO Box 3028 1755B 13th Street Courtenay, BC V9N 5N3 T: (250) 338-0615 Jeff Hampton Email: comoxvfb@shaw.ca

Cranbrook Food Bank Society

104-8th Ave South Cranbrook, BC V1C 2K5 T: 250-426-7664 F: 250-426-7610 Jackie Jensen Email: jackiejensen44@shaw.ca

Creston Valley Food Bank

807 Canyon St Creston, BC V0B 1G3 T: (250) 428-4166 F: 1-866-460-881

Doreen Lowe Email: cvgleaners@telus.net

Food Bank on the Edge

160 Sea Plane Base Rd PO Box 1146 Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0

T: (250) 726-6909 F: (250) 726-7543

U: Lorene (Lorry) Foster Email: fost@telus.net

Fernie – Salvation Army Family Services

PO Box 2259 741 – 2ND AVE Fernie, BC V0B 1M0

T: (250) 423-4661 F: (250) 423-4668

U: Email: kyla_mckenzie@can.salvationarmy.org Kyla McKenzie

Friends in Need Food Bank

#8-22726 Dewdney Trunk Road Maple Ridge, BC V2X 8K9 T: 604-466-3663 F: 604-463-1736 Joanne Olson Email: director@friendsneedfood.com

Website: www.friendsneedfood.com

Fort St.John – Salvation Army Family Services

10116 100 Ave Fort St. John, BC V1J 1Y6 T: (250) 785-0500 F: (250) 785-0517 Isobel Lippers Email: isobel_lippers@can.salvationarmy.org

Golden Food Bank

PO Box 1047 #102 1115 9TH STREET S Golden, BC V0A 1H0 T: 250-344-5608

F: 250-344-2113 Barb Davies Email: goldenfoodbank@uniserve.ca

People for a Healthy Community Food Bank

PO Box 325, 675 North Road Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0 T: (250) 247-7311

F: 250-247-7311 Kathryn Molloy Email: info@phc-gabriola.org OR food@phc-gabriola.org Website: www.phc-gabriola.org

Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society

1150 Raymur Ave. Vancouver, BC V6A 3T2 T: 604-876-3601 F: 604-876-7323 Garth Pinton Website: www.foodbank.bc.ca

Goldstream Food Bank

Canwest P.O. Box 28122 Victoria, BC V9B 6K8 T: 250-474-4443

F: 250-474-4443 Sandy Prette Email: sprette@shaw.ca

Harvest of Hope Food Bank

PO Box 1625 Gibsons, BC V0N 1V0 T: (604) 886-3665 F: (604) 886-3683 Maureen O’Hearn Email: tsafoodbank@dccnet.com Website: www.tsaonthecoast.ca

Harvest Food Bank

P.O. Box 849 7120 MARKET ST Port Hardy, BC V0N 2P0 T: 250-902-0332

F: 250-902-0613 Cheryl Elliott Email: harvest9@telus.net

Hope Food Bank

434 Wallace St PO Box 74 Hope, BC V0X 1L0 T: 604-869-2466 Ex: 403

F: 604-869-3317 Kim Paolini Email: kpaolini@hopecommunityservices.com Website: kpaolini@hopecommunityservices.com

Hazelton – Salvation Army Community Food Bank

PO Box 100 Hazelton, BC V0J 1Y0 T: (250) 842-6289 F: 250-842-6553

Tom Harris Email: sallyann@bulkley.net or sallysplace@bulkley.net

Hornby Island Food Bank

Gunpowder 3-1 Hornby Island, BC V0R 1Z0 T: (250) 335-1629

Susan Crowe Email: crosusan@yahoo.ca

Kamloops Food Bank & Outreach Society

P.O. Box 1513 171 Wilson St., Station Main Kamloops, BC V2C 6L8

T: 250-376-2252 F: 250-376-0052 Bernadette Siracky

U: Email: bsiracky@kamloopsfoodbank.org

Website: www.kamloopsfoodbank.org

Kelowna Community Food Bank Society

1265 Ellis Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 1Z7 T: 250-763-7161 F: 250-763-9116 Vonnie Lavers Email: vonnie@kcfb.ca

Website: www.kelownafoodbank.com

Kimberley Helping Hands Food Bank

340 Leadenhall Street Kimberley, BC V1A 2X6 T: 250-427-5522 F: 250-427-2297 Heather Smith Email: valb2@telus.net randyandheather@shaw.ca

Kitimat Food Bank Society

14 Morgan St Kitimat, BC V8C 1J3 T: 250-632-6611 Marjorie Phelps Email: marjon@citywest.ca

Ladysmith Food Bank

P.O. BOX 1653 721 First Avenue Ladysmith, BC V9G 1B2 T: 250-245-3079 F: 250-245-3798 Neill-Ireland Email: info@lrca.bc.ca

Website: www.lrca.bc.ca

Lake Country Food Assistance Society

P.O. BOX 41013 RPOS 3130 Berry Rd. Lake Country, BC V4V 1Z7 T: (250) 766-0125 F: 250-766-3038 Phyllis MacPherson Email: pmacpher@shaw.ca

Lake Cowichan Food Bank

Box 1087 Lake Cowichan, BC V0R 2G0 T: (250) 749-6239 F: 250-749-6239 Cindy Vaast Email: cowichanlakefoodbank@gmail.com

Langley Food Bank

5768-203 St. Langley, BC V3A 1W3 T: 604-533-0671 F: 604-533-0891 George Vandergugten Email: info@langleyfoodbank.com

Website: www.langleyfoodbank.com

Lillooet Food Bank

357 Main Street PO Box 2170 Lillooet, BC V0K 1V0 T: 250-256-4146 F: 250-256-7928 Violet Wager

Website: www.bcaafc.com/centres/lillooet/

Email: foodbank@lillooetfriendshipcentre.org

Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank

1009 Farquhar St. Nanaimo, BC V9R 2G2 T: 250-754-8347 F: 250-754-8349 Peter Sinclair Email: info@nanaimoloavesandfishes.org

Logan Lake Food Bank

PO Box 196 Logan Lake, BC V0K 1W0 T: 250-523-9057 Monica Oram

Email: monicaoram@yahoo.com

Lumby Food Bank

PO Box 791 Lumby, BC V0E 2G0 T: (250) 547-2225 Bruce Mackie

Email: jandnmackie@shaw.ca

Lytton Community Food Bank

PO Box 87 Lytton, BC V0K 1Z0 T: (250) 455-2316 F: (250) 455-6669 Michele Swan Email: mswan2@telus.net

Mustard Seed Food Bank

625 Queens Ave. Victoria, BC V8T 1L9 T: 250-953-1580 F: 250-385-0430 Brent Palmer Email: brentpalmer@mustardseed.ca

Website: www.mustardseed.ca

Neighbour Link Food Bank

P.O. Box 2353 Vanderhoof, BC VOJ 3A0 T: 250-567-9007 F: 250-567-9017 Colleen Flanagan Email: neigh09@telus.net

Nelson – Salvation Army Family Services

601 Vernon St Nelson, BC V1L 5R2 T: (250) 352-3488 F: (250) 352-7373

Yvonne Borrows Email: yvonne_borrows@can.salvationarmy.org

Nicola Valley and District Food Bank

2026 Quilchena Ave PO Box 2719 Merritt, BC V1K 1B8 T: 250-378-2282 F: 250-378-2982 Karen Flick Email: foodbank@mail.ocis.net

Oliver Food Bank

P.O. Box 405 Oliver, BC V0H 1T0 T: (250) 498-4555 Jim Ouellette

Email: jimo@persona.ca

Osoyoos Food Bank

6210-97th Street

Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V4 T: (250) 495-6581 F: (250) 495-8011

Lu Ahrendt

Email: rlahrendt@live.ca

White Rock & South Surrey Food Bank

5-15515 24 Ave Surrey, BC V4A 2J4 T: 604-531-8168 ext. 229 F: 604-541-8188 Sue Sanderson or Jaye Murray

Email: ssanderson@sourcesbc.ca or jmurray@sourcesbc.ca

Website: www.pacsbc.com/progr…

Peachland Food Bank

6490 Keyes Ave Peachland, BC V0H 1X0 T: (250) 767-3312 F: 250-767-3488 Judy Bedford

Pemberton SSCS Food Bank

1357 Aster Street Box 656 Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0 Louise Stacey-Deegan Phone: 604-894-6101 Fax: 604-894-6333 Email: louise.stacey-deegan@sscs.ca

Website: www.sscs.ca

Penticton – Salvation Army Community Food Bank

2399 South Main St Penticton, BC V2A 5J1 T: (250) 492-4788 F: (250) 492-6494 Dorian Polaway

Email: Pentictoncmw@shaw.ca or pentictonprogramcoordinator@shaw.ca

Powell River Action Centre Food Bank

6812d Alberni St Powell River, BC V8A 2B4 T: (604) 485-9166 Gina Kendrick

Port Alberni Community Food Bank

4841 Redford St Port Alberni, BC V9Y 3P3 T: (250) 723-6913 F: (250) 723-6938 Marilyn Burrows Email: marilyn_burrows@can.salvationarmy.org

Prince Rupert – Salvation Army Family Services

25 Grenville Crt. Prince Rupert, BC V8J 1R3 T: 250-624-6180 F: 250-624-8157 Erica Collison email: erica_collison@can.salvationarmy.org

Prince George – Salvation Army Family Services

777 Ospika Blvd S Prince George, BC V2M 3R5 T: 250-564-4000 EXT: 223 F: 250-564-4021 Crystal Wilkinson Email: crystal_wilkinson@can.salvationarmy.org Website: www.tsainpg.com

Quesnel Food Bank

374 McLean St Quesnel, BC V2J 2N9 T: 250-992-8784 – 250-992-7079

F: (250) 991-5189 Jim Vanderheyden email: jimmyanddebbie@hotmail.com

Quadra Island Food Bank

PO Box 243 Heriot Bay V0P 1H0 T: 250-285-3888 Teresa Tate Email: teresa_tate@yahoo.com

Salmo Food Bank

PO Box 39 311 Railway Avenue Salmo, BC V0G 1Z0 T: (250) 357-2277 F: (250) 357-2385 Charlene Bonderoff Email: charlene@scrs.ca Website: www.scrs.ca

Richmond Food Bank Society

100-5800 Cedarbridge Way Richmond, BC V6X 2A7 T: 604-271-5609

Margaret Hewlett Email: margaret@richmondfoodbank.org or

info@richmondfoodbank.org Website: www.richmondfoodbank.org

Cherryville Community Food Bank Society

412 Sugar Lake Road

Cherryville, BC V0E 2G2

P: 250-547-6646 F: 250-547-8944

Sharon Harvey

msharon@hotmail.com

Salt Spring Island Community Services Food Bank

268 Fulford Ganges Road Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2K6 T: 250-537-9971 (237) F: 250-537-9974 Gloria McEachern Email: gmceachern@ssics.ca OR jvanpelt@ssics.ca OR safoodbank@shaw.ca

Website: www.saltspringcommunityservices.ca

Salmon Arm – Salvation Army Food Bank

191 2nd Avenue NE Salmon Arm, BC V1E 4N6 T: 250-832-9194 F: 250-832-9148 David Byers Email: foodbank@sunwave.net

Share Family & Community Services

2615 Clark Street Port Moody, BC V3H 1Z4 T: 604-931-2451 F: 604-931-2421 Roxann MacDonald Email: r.macdonald@sharesociety.ca

Website: www.sharesociety.ca

Salvation Army Mt. Arrowsmith Community Ministries

886 Wembley Rd Parksville, BC V9P 2H6 T: 250-248-8794 F: 250-248-8601 Rolf Guenther Email: pvsallyann@shawbiz.ca

Slocan Valley Food Cupboard

915 HAROLD STREET BOX 10 SLOCAN V0G 2C0 T: 250-355-2484 Deb Corbett Email: officemanager@wegcss.org

Sidney Lions Food Bank

95865 5th Street Sidney, BC V8L 3S8 T: (250) 655-0679 F: (250) 655-1130 Bev Elder Email: fdbank@telus.net

Sorrento Food Bank

Box 568 Sorrento, BC V0E 2W0 Phone: 250-253-3663 or 250-675-3835 Contact: Jim Chisholm Email: sorfood@shaw.ca

Sooke Food Bank Society

2037 Shields Rd Sooke, BC V0S 1N0 T: (250) 642-7666 F: 250-642-5670

Ingrid Johnston

email: ingridjohnston@shaw.ca

Sparwood Food Bank

P.O. Box 682 125D Centennial Sq.

Sparwood, BC V0B 2G0 T: 250-425-6435 Carol Walmsley

email: jcwalm@shaw.ca

South Delta Food Bank

5545 Ladner Trunk Rd Delta, BC V4K 1X1 T: (604) 946-1967

F: (604) 946-4944 Joe Van Essen Email: info@ladnerlife.com

St. Joseph’s Food Bank

32550 7th Ave Mission, BC V2V 2B9 T: (604) 615-3223 F: (604) 755-4705

Email: sjfoodbank@gmail.com John Poston

Squamish Food Bank

PO Box 207 Garibaldi Highlands, BC V0N 1T0 T: (604) 848-4316

Susan Newman Email: squamishfoodbank@gmail.com

Summerland Community Food Bank

12583 Taylor Place Summerland, BC V0H 1Z0 T: 250-488-2099 Leventine Adams Email: summerlandfoodbank@gmail.com

St. Mark’s Ecumenical Food Bank

1109-95 Avenue Dawson Creek, BC V1G 1J2 T: 250-782-2614 Austin Sones

Surrey/North Delta Food Bank

10732 – CITY PARKWAY Surrey, BC V3T 4C7 T: 604-581-5443 F: 604-588-8697 Marilyn Herrmann Email: execdir@surreyfoodbank.org

Website: www.surreyfoodbank.org

Sunshine Coast Food Bank

P.O. Box 1069 Sechelt, BC V0N 3A0 T: 604-885-5881 (240) F: 604-885-9493 Dale Sankey Email: scfoodbank@dccnet.com

Website: www.sccss.ca/communityaction.html

The Terrace Church’s Food Bank

4012 Anderson St Terrace, BC V8G 2T2 T: (250) 635-9670

John Wiebenga email: jawiebenga@telus.net

Tansi Friendship Centre

P.O. Box 418 301 SOUTH ACCESS ROAD Chetwynd, BC V0C 1J0 T: 250-788-2996 F: 250-788-2353 Darlene Campbell Email: tansifcs@persona.ca

Website: www.bcaafc.com/centres/chetwynd

Vernon (and Enderby) Salvation Army

3303- 32nd Ave. Vernon, BC V1T 2M7 T: 250-549-1314 F: 250-549-7344 David MacBain email: david.macbain@shawcable.com

Trail – Salvation Army Services

730 Rossland Avenue Trail, BC V1R 3N3 T: 250-364-0445 F: 250-368-5806 Linda Radtke Email: salvationarmytrail@shaw.ca

Westside Community Food Bank Society

2545 Churchill Rd Westbank, BC V4T 2B4 T: (250) 768-1559 Faith Lanthier Email: wcfbca@yahoo.ca

Williams Lake – Salvation Army

267 Borland St Williams Lake, BC V2G 1R4 T: (250) 392-2423 F: (250) 392-1467 Claudine Kadonaga Email: claudine_kadonaga@can.salvationarmy.org

Community Harvest Food Bank

301 32nd Street, Castlegar, BC V1N 3S6; P: 250-365-6440; Debbie McIntosh; debbiemcintosh@shaw.ca

Cowichan Valley Basket Society

5810 Garden Street, Duncan, BC V9L 3V9; P: 250-746-1566; F: 250-746-1566; Colleen Fuller; cvbs@shaw.ca

Eagle Valley Community Food Bank

P.O. Box 777, Sicamous, BC V0E 2V0; P: 250-836-3440; F: 250-836-3414; Janet McClean-Senft; evcrc@telus.net; Website: www.eaglevalleyresourcecentre.ca

Whistler Food Bank

P.O. Box 900, Whistler, BC V0N 1B0; P: 604-935-7717; F: 604-932-0599;

Sara Jennings; foodbank@mywcss.org

Appeal for Assistance in Our Human Journey

Posted on September 25, 2024 by The Urban Survivor

Greetings,

As we come together closer in our individual cultural bubbles there is an increasing need for those of us on the humanitarian front line to find support from these developing networks.

We at The Urban Survivor – on the Social Media Map since the year 2000 – are now entering a new stage of social development as we find ourselves with new understandings of boundaries and borders.

Even the smallest donation helps – it could be an assistance to someone’s educational alignment, a day’s meal, a gift of knowledge that someone cares and the renewed faith in the power of human piety and the organization of collective experience.

Thank you for reading and more than ever, thank you for caring.

The Urban Survivor

https://theurbansurvivor.org/

How Do You Know You’re Dealing With A Slumlord ?

Posted on August 4, 2024 by The Urban Survivor

Mar 11, 2020,08:00am EDT

Here are some telltale signs that you may be dealing with a slumlord.

Deferred Maintenance. The most tested and true sign you may be dealing with a slumlord is the property’s physical condition. …
Untimely Or Incomplete Tenant Work Orders. …
Unlicensed Workers. …
Cash Deals And No Leases. …
No Respect For Tenants.

Photo:GETTY

We have all heard the stories about roach-infested properties, overgrown landscaping, crime-ridden communities and beyond. Working in the real estate industry, you may have even met a few of these individuals who actually gloat and admire their abilities to manage a building while doing the least amount of work for the cheapest price.

These people are known as slumlords, and sadly, their methods are still alive and well. In fact, being a slumlord for some is actually a business model: running the property into the ground and utilizing as much depreciation as possible, not really caring what happens at the end of the property’s useful life. Although many investors have benefited from the aftermath of slumlords’ actions, in the end, more damage is done to the community and the people who have to live and work in the surrounding area.

Here are some telltale signs that you may be dealing with a slumlord.

1. Deferred Maintenance

The most tested and true sign you may be dealing with a slumlord is the property’s physical condition. Broken or boarded-up windows or doors, graffiti, trash, overgrown landscaping, broken or nonworking lights, and nonfunctional gates are several factors you want to be aware of. It’s one thing to have one or two of these items noted; it’s a whole other when the property as a whole appears drab and run-down. The lack of care is hard to ignore and is a good indicator that you may be dealing with a slumlord.

2. Untimely Or Incomplete Tenant Work Orders

Another sign to consider is how the work orders are handled with the tenants. Although laws differ throughout the country, common sense should tell you what a reasonable time frame for day-to-day work orders should be. Unless a major issue is at hand, such as heating or cooling, sewer, plumbing, roofing, or electrical, there is no justifiable reason items should not be addressed within reasonable time frames.

Orders for issues such as a running toilet, leaky sink, broken dishwasher or garbage disposal should all fall within a five-to-10-day range. Also, when the work is done, is should be fully completed with care and craftsmanship. Many slumlords are known for starting jobs and not finishing, or using the cheapest labor they can find. This typically leads to faulty work and can actually encourage the problem to get worse.

3. Unlicensed Workers

Some states are now requiring that property managers use licensed workers for all their property maintenance issues and that handymen can only work a limited number of hours if they are not licensed. Although a slumlord may not be required to follow these guidelines if they are not licensed, it’s always a good idea to determine who is doing the work around the property and if they are indeed licensed or not.

4. Cash Deals And No Leases

For slumlords, cash and limited or no leases at all are great strategies for “staying under the radar” from the IRS, as well as not being held to a binding contract. Ironically, the cash they collect does very little when a tenant without a lease decides not to pay or leaves the property in shambles after vacating. Nonetheless, the mindset of a slumlord doesn’t stop this type of behavior from happening.

5. No Respect For Tenants

Slumlords have the tendency to feel superior or show a lack of respect for their tenants. They might see addressing their tenants’ concerns is more of a privilege to the tenant than their obligation as the owner. The goal is to use and abuse tenants and do as little as possible, all the while collecting as much income as possible, while the property steadily declines. In the end, it is a receipt for disaster and has been a contributing factor to the erosion of communities.

What To Do

If you are considering buying an investment property from a slumlord, take heed. Although there could be “potential” in the numbers, some properties have established such a bad stigma through years of neglect that no amount of revitalization may be worth the return. Also, what you may be inheriting could be far worse than even the due diligence can discover. When the risk exceeds the rewards, don’t take the chance.

If you’re a current property owner and justify any of these items in your day-to-day management practice, you may want to reestablish your priorities and stop putting off the standard requirements involved in owing and running property. Once major issues start spiraling out of control, it becomes hard to catch up, but easier to let things slide.

If you’re neither an investor nor owner, but rather someone needing direction on how to combat a slumlord, your best bet is to call your local city or county and make a complaint, or call your local news station. The more pressure you put on these individuals, the less they are able to hide.

Alex Vasquez is the owner of Rhino Realty Property Management and Rhino Realty B&B, entrepreneur, investor, advisor, author and speaker.