The Homelessness Factory

Season 2 Episode 2 

Please be advised that the topics discussed in this series can be challenging to listen to and explore topics of homelessness, abuse, torture, transphobia, racism, and drug use. Please take care while listening.

In this episode of She. They. Us., we will look at the work the Federal Government has been doing - or at the least should be doing - to help women and gender diverse people in the housing crisis and some of the structural barriers to greater action. 

First, we will meet Ashley, an HIV Support Services Coordinator based in North Bay, Ontario. Despite her dedication to helping others navigate complex health and social systems, Ashley faces her own challenges behind the scenes. Due to the rising cost of living and a lack of affordable housing options in her community, she’s been forced to remain living with her ex-husband even after their separation. 

Next, we will meet Frances Bula, a journalist who has spent decades reporting on urban affairs, housing, and social policy across Canada. Drawing on her extensive experience, Frances helps us understand the broader forces behind the housing crisis. She describes how, over the past several decades, a combination of policy decisions, government inaction, and chronic underinvestment has transformed North America into what she calls a “Homelessness Factory.” Through her insight, we begin to see how systemic failures have pushed countless people into housing precarity and homelessness.

Finally, we will meet Mike Moffatt, an Economist and the former Canadian Chief Innovation Officer for the federal government, based in Ottawa, Ontario. Now, Mike is a Founding Director of a think tank called “The Missing Middle Initiative”, at the University of Ottawa which is dedicated to looking at the decline of Canada's young middle class. Mike speaks on how innovation and complexity are challenging for  governments with an aversion to “failure points”.

Meet Our Guests in Order of Appearance 

• Ashley, HIV Support Services Coordinator
• Frances Bula, Journalist and Advocate
• Mike Moffatt, Economist

About your host

Andrea Reimer is a Housing Advocate and former politician. In 2008, Andrea was elected as a City Councillor for the City of Vancouver, and served in that role for ten years. Since 2019, she has been an Adjunct Professor at University of British Columbia’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. In her teen years, Andrea experienced homelessness and has been a public voice within the housing crisis for the last two decades. 

Additional Resources from this Episode 

We've gathered the resources from this episode into one helpful list:

Season 1 of She. They. Us.: https://pcvwh.ca/she-they-us/she-they-us-podcast/

Pan-Canadian Voice for Women’s Housing: https://pcvwh.ca/

The Missing Middle Initiative: https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/

Unfortunately, there is not a national crisis line in Canada for survivors of gender based violence. But you can find provincial crisis lines and other resources at this link: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/stop-family-violence/services.html 

#housing #housingcrisis #canada