Reflection: Youth Homelessness

Link to article: http://homelesshub.ca/YouthWithoutHome

Reflection

I found this study on youth homelessness very interesting. I remember when I used to work at Mr. X (the animation studio) downtown, I would take the TTC every day to and from work. Regardless of the weather, I would regularly see homeless people in and around the subway, on the bus, walking about on the streets, and even sleeping on the sidewalk (just imagine doing this in the winter with nothing but a sleeping back to keep you warm!). Regarding the homeless man sleeping on the sidewalk--it was a tragic thing to see passersby not even bothering to look in his direction as he slept on the sidewalk in his sleeping bag. The level of indifference exhibited by each person who walked by was outrageous. There was a coffee cup beside his head, and as I walked by I noticed that the cup was completely empty...not even a single coin was dropped inside of it. Unfortunately, I didn't carry change and so I felt helpless, so I hung my head low and continued walking.

Another morning as I was walking to the studio from the subway, I had stopped by Tim Hortons to pick up some breakfast. The restaurant was packed, but after waiting in line for nearly 15 minutes I finally got my food and went back outside. It was snowing heavily, and the weather was freezing cold. I saw a young homeless man right outside of the Tim Hortons store shivering. I made eye contact with him, and he said "Nice morning, isn't it?" I laughed and I wished him a good morning. I asked him how long he had been standing outside, and he told me about an hour. I didn't have any cash to give him, so instead I gave him a hashbrown that I had bought for myself, and he was so grateful. He wished me a good day and said "God bless you". 

I'd like to share one last incident: when my studio had temporarily relocated close to Queen and Sherbourne, I noticed that the area was quite sketchy. There were several homeless people, most appeared to be young adults, but some were middle aged and others much older. People would regularly avoid walking on the same sidewalk as them, which I found surprising to see. Of course, I could see how this was a matter of personal safety, but to walk on the opposite side of the road in broad daylight? I would often walk on the same sidewalk as the homeless people, and for the most part nothing crazy had happened. There was one time where two of them started to follow me, but I just kept walking and didn't turn back. Another time, a man had stopped me and begged me for money. When I told him that I didn't have change, he took me into a convenience store and practically demanded that I get him some change from the cashier. One night I even witnessed a few of the homeless people fighting and throwing things at each other. They were yelling and screaming, running after each other and puching one another...I saw this from the inside of a streetcar.

My thoughts on all of this: I think that we as a society have been so indifferent to homeless people for such a long time, that this has led to most of them behaving in a hostile manner. I believe that the first step starts with how we treat them--they are normal human beings, just like us. Once we set aside our differences, we are all human and should treat one another with respect, acceptance, and inclusion. Sometimes, like in the incident with the homeless man I met outside Tim Hortons, all they want is somebody to talk to. This helps them to feel included, valued as members of the society. I think that, more than just dropping a few coins inside a hat or cup and then walking away, it is important for us to start giving our time to the homeless, spending time with them and making them feel valued and respected. Even if it's just a simple "Good morning! How are you doing today?", with this attitude in mind, we can help to break down the negative connotations that surround our homeless youth and young adults today.

References

Stephen Gaetz, Bill O’Grady, Sean Kidd & Kaitlin Schwan. (2016). Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press.