Rural Canada's 'visible homelessness' problem driven by pandemic, high cost of housing
CBC
Stephanie Elliott and Allison George are right on the edge, not knowing if they'll spend this winter housed or in a tent.
They live in Goderich, Ont., a small town north of London with postcard-worthy views of Lake Huron and a hot housing market. The couple are among the many rural Canadians, the new visible homeless, who face a second pandemic winter outside.
"Housing is an absolute crisis," says George, 34, who grew up in Blyth, Ont. "There is absolutely nothing."
Together they can afford their monthly $500 rent, a low rate that's becoming increasingly rare in small-town Ontario and beyond.
George has a part-time job cleaning at a grocery store; Elliott survives on the Ontario Disability Support Program. Their choices are limited: to purchase a winterized tent or stay in the only apartment they can find, one they both describe as unsuitable.
They spend a lot of their time outdoors in Goderich's Courthouse Square along with their friend Candy Middelkamp.
Elliott said she scans Kijiji and other online sites daily, but most of the one-bedroom units listed are $1,300 to $1,600, well beyond their budget.
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