Thomas King (2003) reminds us that “The truth about stories is that that’s all we are” (p. 2). Stories provide the structure through which actions and words are given meaning and value judgments are assigned; they act as our interpretive filters. Many stories are not of our own making, but rather are told about us by others. This is especially true of communities and individuals who experience social marginalization and oppression. It is other people, those with greater power and access to resources, who are the authors of the stories that come to dominate. Often – but not always – it is with good intention, and yet routinely those in power tell and retell stories without fully understanding the people and the lives that populate these stories. People with lived experience of homelessness encounter the stories others tell about them on a daily basis. Often within these stories, the portrayal of ‘the homeless’ as a monolithic category comprised of persons all sharing common and largely unalterable traits— lazy, addicted, criminal—serves to undermine their humanity, as well as construct divisions between ‘us’ and ‘them.’
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The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is the largest national research institute devoted to homelessness in Canada. The COH is the curator of the Homeless Hub.
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The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is the largest national research institute devoted to homelessness in Canada. The COH is the curator of the Homeless Hub.
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- Foreword
- Introduction
- Stories
- 3. Contrast
- 4. All The Way Home
- 5. She must have been crazy
- 6. My Life Story, My Youth
- 7. Maison de Maternity
- 8. Hail Mary Pass
- 9. Into a storage locker
- 10. Officer Down
- 11. Rooming at the Haunted House
- 12. My Journey from Nova Scotia to Ottawa
- 13. Anatomy of Hero
- 14. Battered Schmattered
- 15. My Journey
- 16. Aloha Big Kahuna
- 17. How Being a Veggie Burger with Bacon Saved My Life
- 18. I brave enough to leave
- 19. Hope Eternal
- Policy
- 20. A Pragmatic, Humanistic and Effective Approach to Additions: The Importance of Harm Reduction
- 21. A Comprehensive, Community Process on Ending Homelessness: The System of Care Approach
- 22. What Comes Next? Supporting Individuals After Institutional Discharge
- 23. Healing the Pain and Hurt: Dealing with the Trauma of Homelessness
- 24. Ending Homelessness: Building not only homes but relationships of respect
- Conclusion
- Introduction
- Homelessness is Only One Piece of My Puzzle: Implications for Policy and Practice
- Foreword
- 1. Foreword