Homelessness

Homelessness has always been an issue that I am very passionate about because many people still take an ignorant stance on homelessness. They may believe that all homeless people are lazy, alcoholics, drug users and other wrongful classifications. However, today in my urban geography class we watched a video called Shelter From the Storm (2004). This film showed us “normal” everyday people whom through unfortunate circumstances were evicted from their homes. These people had no choice than to turn to the street, because there are thousands of homeless people in Toronto and not nearly enough shelters and adequate spaces to accommodate the significant population. Due to the lack of available accommodation for the homeless, many destitute individuals have expressed a sort of agency, to produce a space of their own that makes them feel that they do have a home. This place being, The Tent City, the Tent City is an area of land owned by home depot that the homeless have turned into a place they view as home. Initially they set up tents, but the dwelling has changed slightly with the help of TDRC and certain city councilors such as Jack Layton who speak on behalf of the homeless. Many provincial councilors want to take down tent city, but people such as Layton argue how can you kick out people whom were evicted and have nowhere else to go? Layton and supporters have developed tiny hut like one room “houses” and the homeless feel a certain sense of pride and ownership because they feel that it’s something they own and it keeps them off the streets and provides a stepping stone in helping them back on their feet. None the less, many are still against tent city, and no one knows for sure what the future will hold for the “city” and its “residents”. The film made me think back to Amy’s lecture on the encounters with place and dwelling, more so Neil Smith’s analysis of Krzysztof Wodiczko’s The Homeless Vehicle. Here shopping carts were seen as a home, this like tent city was also a visibly contested space that is many also believed should be removed. As Smith suggested that homeless vehicles use scale as a strategy and a form of resistance, so is to in my opinion the formation of The Tent City.