Homelessness is worsening due to a complex interplay of factors, including rising housing costs, stagnant wages, and inadequate mental health and addiction services. As affordable housing becomes increasingly scarce, more individuals and families cannot secure stable shelter. Economic instability, exacerbated by events like the COVID-19 pandemic, has further strained resources, pushing vulnerable populations into precarious situations. Additionally, systemic issues such as discrimination and lack of access to healthcare contribute to the cycle of homelessness, making it a persistent and growing crisis in many communities.
Beginning in early 2020, I started working on the front lines of Niagara’s escalating poverty and homelessness crisis.
Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to engage in candid and heartfelt conversations with individuals facing homelessness and unemployment, as well as those grappling with addictions and mental health challenges, through my connections with various service agencies.
UNHOUSED is my exploration of the roots of this growing crisis in our city and region.
Unfortunately, the Regional Municipality of Niagara and the City of St. Catharines have informed regional agencies to refrain from speaking to the media, including myself. As a result, having conversations with social workers on the record can be challenging at times.
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JUSTICE ENDS WHERE POLICING BEGINS: The Shameful History of Policing The Gay and Trans Community in Canada
Policing reform is routinely framed as a matter of training, oversight, or inclusive language. None of this resolves the central contradiction exposed by decades of violence against trans people: policing is a system built on discretion, not equality. It decides who belongs, who is suspect, and whose suffering is credible.
ROT AT THE CORE: How Transphobia Persists in Niagara’s Policing Culture
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