A landmark report obtained exclusively by the Toronto Star reveals the devastating extent of child and family homelessness in Canada

Child and family homelessness is a hidden but growing crisis in Canada that requires a multi-pronged response from government and community agencies, according to the first comprehensive study of the problem. It means addressing poverty, affordable housing, child care, discrimination, intimate-partner violence, stigma, children’s mental health and family well-being, says the report being released on Family Day by Raising the Roof, a national organization dedicated to finding long-term solutions to homelessness.  Read the rest of this article at the Toronto Star…

Discrimination, harassment and assault of LGBT youths is often very severe, ongoing and leads to lasting mental health problems such as major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, new study says

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“We want to know if the number of homeless individuals has gotten larger than it used to be. Has it gotten smaller or has it stayed the same and what does that mean?”
Image by Nicholas Pescod, Nanaimo News Bulletin

The extent of the homeless situation in the Harbour City will become clearer in the coming weeks thanks to a nationwide survey initiated by the federal government. Nanaimo was among a handful of communities across Canada that participated in the country’s first-ever co-ordinated Point-in-Time Homeless Count on Tuesday. Organized by the federal government, the count, referred to as a PiT Count, is designed to give communities and the nation as a whole a much better understanding of the homeless situation by surveying those who are living on streets, staying at shelters and in short-term housing.  Read the rest of this article at Nanaimo News Bulletin…

Times Colonist photographer Bruce Stotesbury visited the tent city near the Victoria courthouse and spoke with some of the campers about why they were there. Here is what he found.  See this at the Times Colonist…

Coco Cafe has around 33 full and part-time employees, with roughly 50 per cent having some form of a developmental disability

Snuggled in the heart of Cedar lies a little cafe that’s making a big impact. It is a place where everyone is welcome and feels more like a country home than a coffee shop. Over the years, Coco Cafe has become more of a hub for the community than a place to consume a hot beverage or good cooked meal. “This is a casual spot where you can come and meet your neighbour and you can come by yourself and end up at a table of six,” said Melanie Cadden, the cafe’s general manager.  Read the rest of this article at Nanaimo News Bulletin…