Homelessness is a complex issue

Dear editor:

We were disappointed to read in his Sept. 11 opinion piece “Council candidates likely to seize on rise in homeless,” how columnist Ron Seymour chose to portray members of Kelowna’s homeless population.

Seymour begins his column by referencing the homeless people who congregate behind the Daily Courier building. As though describing dangerous wild animals in a zoo, he writes, “They often look, well, a little crazy and potentially volatile. I just hope the glass holds.”

His comments demonstrate a disturbing lack of awareness and empathy, and illuminate how misinformation and negative public attitudes create barriers to efforts to help vulnerable populations in our community.

Although Seymour admits ,”I’ve never gone and talked to them,” he seems comfortable judging their levels of mental health and volatility all the same. It’s likely fair to say any one of us would feel challenged if we had nowhere permanent to sleep, shower, eat, and be treated humanely. Be that as it may, homelessness is an incredibly complex and nuanced issue, with roots in a variety of causes such as economic circumstance, brain injury, addiction, mental health, and countless other traumas including intimate partner violence and abuse. To minimize these factors, and reduce those who have experienced them as Seymour does purely to support an article about municipal election issues is shortsighted and uninformed.

Homelessness is clearly a problem that deserves creative and thoughtful discussion and solutions on all levels. The city’s groundbreaking, and collaboratively forged, Journey Home strategy has taken major steps toward addressing it, and we look forward to seeing it come to fruition over the next five years.

In the meantime, and throughout the process to come, it’s our hope politicians, business people, residents, and newspaper columnists, will remember those who are homeless are not just fodder for debate or posturing. Nor are they merely the labels we place upon them. They are, first and foremost, people, worthy of dignity, respect, and safe, permanent housing. Karen Mason, Executive Director

Kelowna Women’s Shelter Celine Thompson, Executive Director The Bridge Youth & Family Services

Liz Talbott, Executive Director NOW (New Opportunities for Women)