Where is the empathic coverage on homelessness in Canada?
A counterpoint to Rosie DiManno's recent column on the topic.
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This week, we’re tackling this question: Where is the empathic coverage on homelessness?
TL;DR: Toronto Star columnist Rosie DiManno recently wrote about her experience spending a night at a homeless encampment. Many have criticized the piece as dehumanizing. Personally, the column has us asking why it was necessary to invade the privacy of a vulnerable population just to arrive at some already well-documented conclusions — mental illness and the housing crisis. Of course, we have you covered with suggestions for better coverage on the crisis.
Earlier this week, the Toronto Star published Rosie DiManno's column about her experience spending a “night in a homeless encampment.” She did not identify herself as a journalist while talking to and eventually quoting encampment residents in the piece.
Many have since criticized the column as dehumanizing.
Of course we need continuous coverage of the homelessness crisis. But it’s hard to understand why this piece of a columnist LARP-ing as a homeless person is needed to arrive at some well-documented causes: mental illness and housing shortage.
The crisis has been ongoing for a long time. In any given year, there are over 235,000 people experiencing homelessness in Canada.
COVID-19 has exacerbated the issue by lowering shelters’ capacity and shuttering access to facilities like public washrooms, which has heaped more stigma onto people experiencing homelessness.
These challenges were even greater over the winter, with numerous reports surfacing about individuals freezing to death or suffering from frostbite because they didn’t have access to shelter. In Quebec, people also had to navigate a curfew that could land them a fine of up to $6,000 — until the court required the province to exempt homeless individuals from the curfew.
The pandemic has also put a harsher spotlight on homeless encampments, many of which popped up or grew larger because of shelters’ reduced capacity. And as officials in various cities push to clear these encampments — some of which host hundreds of people — due to fear of the spread of COVID-19, residents and advocates have protested in response.
Most recently, there was a standoff happening over an encampment removal near Toronto’s Lamport Stadium. The Hoser (especially its Instagram) is a great source to keep up with this.
And as soon as a camp is shut down, new ones pop up to address the growing need for community. In Vancouver, there have been three clearings in less than a year, with the city closing the Strathcona Park encampment — thought to be the largest one in Canada — in April.
Also, we haven’t even touched on how homelessness overlaps with the overdose crisis and systemic racism. (In Vancouver, Indigenous people are disproportionately represented in the city’s homeless population.)
In terms of solutions, advocates and experts said we need to steer away from all signs of criminalization and move towards a housing-first approach. In response, governments have been buying up properties to house individuals — though the crisis indicates that much more remains to be done.
If you want to learn more, there is no shortage of in-depth and empathetic reporting on this. Here’s just a quick list to start:
The Toronto Star itself has published many great pieces by affordable housing reporter Victoria Gibson, including some on the experiences of babies, children and women in the crisis.
In Quebec, Ricochet Media’s reporting partner Christopher Curtis has diligently reported on the struggles and resilience of the homeless community in Montreal and Val D’or.
In Edmonton, photojournalist Amber Bracken showcased an Indigenous-led encampment and its members in a beautiful photo essay for The Walrus.
In Vancouver, Tyee reporters Jen St. Denis and Christopher Cheung have spotlighted not just challenges facing the Downtown Eastside — but also community members’ daily lives and vibrancy.
And for broader coverage on housing affordability and accessibility, check out This Magazine’s May-June issue. One of our very own, Samantha McCabe, has a feature in the magazine on how the lack of affordable housing creates gaps in the support for domestic violence survivors.
Here’s someone to follow:
In BC, there is a standoff taking place on Vancouver Island over old-growth logging, with police raiding blockades and already making a number of arrests. Follow Gitxsan journalist Jerome Turner if you want to keep an eye on what’s happening on the ground. He has been able to report from protest lines for Ricochet Media, after the outlet pushed back on the RCMP’s attempts to restrict media access.
Here’s a story to check out:
If you’re looking for a fun read, check out Xtra senior editor Erica Lenti’s piece in the Walrus about dog influencers and her quest to make her one-eyed puppy famous on the Internet. Regardless of her social status, Belle is very cute!
ALSO: Bit of a shameless promotion, but I will be moderating a panel on anti-Asian racism and journalism hosted by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. It will also feature documentary filmmaker Karen Cho, journalist Arvin Joaquin and professor Pamela Sugiman — join us on Friday, May 28 at 2 p.m. EST.