A lot of people will say, we do not have any homeless people in Gander. Unfortunately, that is not true. This week I’ve decided to share a report on homelessness in our area from 2013. I have been part of the NL Housing and Homelessness Community Advisory Board for this area since it’s inception, over ten years ago. Although this report is six years old; most of it still applies. Like a lot of other Ganderites, before I worked in the system, I would have said we do not have a problem here. It didn’t take long for me to see firsthand; this was a false assumption.
I would like to note, one big improvement made since this report is the addition of a Housing Support Worker to assist the homeless and at risk of homelessness population find and keep suitable accommodations. See articles below which highlight the great work being done by Danette Hicks, Gander’s very capable, caring and passionate Housing Support Worker.
https://www.thecentralvoice.ca/news/local/re-thinking-homelessness-175337/
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/hungry-missing-school-schedule-change-170036445.html
A few CFH (Come From Here) examples of individuals who experienced homelessness in Gander are shared below, some of which are included as mini case studies in the report. Homelessness is not always living on the streets or sleeping outside in visible areas; Gander’s homeless population is often part of what we call, the hidden homeless.
A young gentleman in his twenties has been homeless in Gander on four occasions, he reported sleeping in churches, who at the time kept their doors unlocked at night; sleeping on backseats of cars at a local dealership, who also left doors unlocked at night and sleeping in makeshift shelters in the woods. He has been sent to youth and adult shelters on several occasions but found St. John’s was not a good fit for him despite better support services. He said he knew the Gander area well and felt safer close to family even though he was at conflict with his family due to his addictions. He has been cycling in and out of homelessness, employment insurance and income support since I met him in 2008. He has left Gander on many occasions but seems to always return.
A community agency reported knowledge of a middle aged man who was living in a cabin in the woods after being evicted from his home. They were concerned this individual was depressed and had not been out of the woods for quite some time. He was in deteriorating health and losing weight. Members from a local church group had been supporting him by bringing food and gas for the generator.
The father of a teen in Gander discovered his daughter was letting a friend who was pregnant live in their laundry room and sneaking her in at night. The pregnant teen’s parents had kicked her out due to conflict and the father of her friend was desperate to find help for the homeless pregnant teen who was 17 at the time.
A call was received from a friend of an older middle aged man who was described as an alcoholic and as having depression. It was stated this man had been homeless for two weeks and was “going downhill fast.” He had been couch surfing with various friends but at the time of the call, was sleeping on a couch in the back of a garage.
A young woman who had come to the province for employment sustained an injury which prevented her from working. She had no family support in the province but refused transport back to her home province as she did not want to go back there for personal reasons. She self-identified as having mental health issues and having stopped her medication when she arrived in the province. The young woman stated she did not like big cities and that “Gander is almost too big” for her so she wasn’t interested in going to a shelter in St. John’s. She was not a resident of the province and had an income in the previous month, so she didn’t qualify for any of the supports available. At the time, she was living in a tent near her previous work site, claimed she had no money whatsoever and was told by her former employer she had to take her tent down and leave there ASAP.
A single parent whose children were recently removed from her care presented after being evicted from her apartment and moving in with a friend. The friend was pressuring her for more in the relationship but she was not interested, so she desperately wanted to get out of there. She didn’t want to go to a shelter in St. John’s as she still had visitation with her children in Gander. The hotels would not let AES place her there temporarily because she was provided emergency shelter in a local hotel before, had a party and trashed the hotel room. She is a known drug addict in the community and has a criminal record so finding suitable accommodations, temporary or permanent is next to impossible.
These examples are just a few of the many types of cases our Housing Support Worker now helps with. A staffed emergency shelter and supported housing units with wrap around supports are both desperately needed in this area to help address this problem. Providing safe shelter with support services for all citizens, including criminals and active addicts will benefit the whole community and support recovery for individuals who are struggling.
The 2013 CAB report can be read using the link below and will help you understand homelessness in the Gander area. We have made some improvements since this repory but most of these challenges still exist for our vulnerable populations.
https://overhalfway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/final-gander-and-area-cab-plan-sept-2013-1.pdf
Over Half Way 