This cancer patient spent the pandemic in a Toronto shelter. Here's how she finally got the city to help

For Lisa, the toughest part of living in a Toronto shelter while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer during the pandemic wasn't the noise or lack of privacy or worry she'd get sick with COVID-19. It was the fear she'd never find a home.

Three years ago, Lisa said she lost her apartment and was left with no other choice than to live in a shelter with up to 100 others — the city's temporary housing solution for the thousands of people experiencing homelessness at any given time. 

Health problems and then a late-stage breast cancer diagnosis meant Lisa could no longer work and the government assistance she received wasn't enough to cover her rent, even with roommates, she said.

CBC News has agreed not to use Lisa's full name as she fears the stigma attached to homelessness will affect her in the future. 

"I used to take pride in the fact I was able to work and take care of myself," Lisa, 49, said in an interview. "But when you're homeless, people look at you differently, like you're a loser. They don't understand how complex it becomes."

Thousands of people in Toronto are living in the city's shelter system and spending years on waiting lists for permanent housing. Lisa's experience demonstrates how even in desperate situations, including cases of serious illness, people experiencing homelessness often have little hope of quickly getting the housing they need.

It wasn't until she met a case manager at a park encampment this spring that she got the help she needed. She moved into a rent-geared-to-income unit, run by a non-profit organization, a few days ago.