I have worked inner city Edmonton-most people do not qualify for funding- supports for independence, CPP, medical welfare, or assured income for severely handicapped.

People live in homeless shelters years-10 years or more. One loss of job-through injury, illness, or downsizing can put a vulnerable person in a shelter for life.

I have bi-polar disorder-when high I am invincible-til I crash. I will get a job-handle it for 6 months til symptoms start to reappear. Like many in the shelter, mental illness is not severe enough to get hospitalized-but severe enough to not keep a job. I take my meds, I appear well until you talk close to me. Put me under stress I start missing my meds. I was on CPP pension til I went to school took my social work diploma. 

Many in the shelters suffer from mental illness. Often jailed for petty offenses, trespassing, drinking in public-criminalizing them. There are group homes who take over all responsibilities for you.

What is  needed is - transitional housing-one where you need not sign a lease but pay month to month. This requires a locked door so dealers or people needing a place to stay cannot stay. It requires staff present so monitoring can be done on site-medical emergency, stop crime. They are shutting the doors of the YWCA which served this purpose due to not being able to afford the program. 

 We also require second stage housing-getting us from sleeping on a mat from 8pm to 6 am and then left to find shelter for the remaining hours-through cold, winter, rain and heat. You look homeless, cops, security guards ask you to leave except for a small area of town designated as where the homeless shelters are.

 We also require funding, recognizing we are unemployable-and will not be so. The longer you are homeless-things like suitable clothing, bus passes, references, a phone number , a dr. are all lost. No money, none of the above. They have housed me through housing first program. Now I need employment-to keep it. Once my year is up I am back on the street-no job-no house.

I have years experience with fostering and worked with the vulnerable population.

Would like to set up some tiny homes for youths with the hope of encouraging some aspect of agriculture.

I am knowledgable regarding different aspect of agriculture. I am involved with organizations that promote healthy eating using permaculture. They also promote bee keeping and aspects of pollination that encourage programs for butterflies.

I have space that can be used for a variety of programs. This will encourage an atmosphere  for learning and sharing with others.

Using agricultural  space for housing and sharing with the homeless population is something to be considered.

I will be willing to use space for a project that will address the issue.

vmungrue@yahoo.com