Personal stories of Calgarians living on the streets

As part of the Postmedia series Finding Home, photojournalist Jim Wells spent time in downtown Calgary to meet people who live on the streets and to better understand their circumstances. Here are the stories of five of those people he met.

The circumstances that lead to an individual living on the street vary from person to person.

Poverty, job loss, traumatic events, discrimination and a lack of affordable housing can figure into the equation, as can failed relationships, personal crises, mental illnesses and physical challenges. Addictions can also be a significant factor, as was the case with several of the people I met.

Addictions can be complex diseases that affect both the body and brain, say experts.

Society needs an improved understanding of addiction and mental illness so that circumstances for homeless individuals with these issues can be addressed, says Kathy Christiansen, executive director of Calgary Alpha House Society.

“There’s a real interplay between addiction and mental illness in our work and our challenge is learning the relationship there and what we can do to support people,” Christiansen says.

Some of these people panhandle. Some collect bottles. All of them have different stories and varying reasons for living the way they do. Some have found assistance from the agencies in Calgary that help the homeless, while others have made the choice to make the street their home and enjoy the company of their street friends.

These are some of their stories.