At Oyate Tipi, Winnipeg’s furniture bank, volunteers build twin beds for kids who have recently been homeless. Many of the beds they get donated are in bad shape, and executive director Greg Georgeson says having comfortable, safe furniture is important for a newly-housed family.
“Pride in ownership of having your own place says a lot for a lot of people,” he says.
These people often get forgotten about when they come off the street, but what Georgeson calls “furniture poverty” can put them at risk of ending up back there. A bare apartment creates stress, which might send them back to couch surfing, or relying on friends and family.
“Can you imagine sleeping on a hard floor every night, and getting up and not having the utensils to cook a meal for yourself? Or a place to sit and study, or work on a resume to go get a job?” says Georgeson.
Furniture poverty is a closed-door issue — meaning the general public doesn’t see it the way they see encampments. But Georgeson says furniture is an important touchpoint for people to rebuild their lives. Having a poor sleep on a bare floor, for example, can exacerbate other health problems. Or it can be a source of shame, and lead to isolation.
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“If you’re sitting in an empty apartment, would you invite your friends, family and relatives over there?” says Georgeson
Winnipeg advocates says creating stable housing is more than just providing a place to live. Talia Potash from Resource Assistance for Youth says social supports, career assistance, and addiction services are often needed to make the transition stick.
Simply putting people into market housing without those supports, she says, just sets them up for failure.
“Once you’re in the private market and relying on government top-ups to make sure your rent is paid, that puts you in a precarious place again,” says Potash.
RAY’s clients often experience episodic homelessness, where they have periods of being housed interspersed with periods of homelessness. It’s often caused by things like a family breakdown or aging out of CFS. Potash says these people may not benefit from the province’s homelessness strategy, which focuses on getting people out of encampments.
Potash adds people going through episodic homelessness are at a higher risk of health complications or substance abuse.
“If you’re worried you’re not going to have your next meal, you don’t know if you’re going to have a warm place to be, it complicates all sorts of things in terms of emotional stability and mental health,” she says.
Potash says getting people into housing should remain a priority. But to keep them housed, the long-term support is critical: basic needs like food and furniture, plus social engagement and wraparound services, are what make a home.
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