11/28/2025
Well written regarding how homelessness follows hard circumstances.
Something we hear far too often is the myth that people experiencing homelessness “chose this life.” But no one chooses to live without safety, stability, or a roof over their head. And they especially don’t choose it during Calgary’s cold winters. Homelessness isn’t a lifestyle choice.
There are so many different paths that can lead someone to homelessness. Job loss without adequate savings, leaving an unsafe home because of domestic violence, dealing with untreated mental illness or physical health issues that make it hard to keep employment, grief or trauma that leads to addiction. The reality is people experiencing homelessness are doing what they can to survive and navigate systems that are complex and inflexible.
Changing the narrative starts with us with understanding that homelessness is rarely about bad choices, but about hard circumstances. When we start seeing people as people, not as stereotypes, we can replace judgment with empathy and that’s when we start demanding change. It is an unfortunate truth that when we believe a group of people DESERVE more, we enact policy to help them get it. When we don’t believe people deserve more, we say it’s their own fault and we ignore the problem.
