A 30-year-old Sherbrooke resident who can’t find a place to live fears he’ll have to spend the winter in a tent in the middle of a homeless camp because of a lack of affordable housing.
“Who will give me a chance? I’m trying to find a place but I can’t find anything. No matter where I go, even if I’m just looking for a room, I have nothing […]“I can’t afford to pay $1,500 for an apartment,” complains Alexandre Ouellet, who has been living on the street since the beginning of the summer.
Since the age of 18, Alexandre has experienced what we call invisible homelessness, which means he moves from one friend to another without having his own place to live. His situation changed completely last June when he found himself on the streets and living in a homeless camp.
The camp where the young thirty-year-old lives and is waiting for an apartment. Photo Marianne Langlois
“I expected it to happen one day, but I didn’t think I would be on the streets at this time of year,” he admits.
The man who always emphasizes that he was a turbulent child fell into drug use as a teenager and has been living on social welfare for several years. Although he manages to make ends meet with dehydrated meals, begging for money, and maintaining a good relationship with the road workers who visit him, the cold weather ahead worries him.
“At the moment I have a very bad flu, I’m sick […]“I’m afraid for my health, I can’t spend the winter outside,” he explains, coughing.
Despite the tireless search for a simple room, the thirty-year-old finds it impossible to find an affordable apartment, and he is far from the only one in this situation.
“Homelessness is currently increasing due to evictions […]“It’s a new wave of homelessness. The latest statistics show us that these are people who are refugees or have a roof over their heads,” notes Mario Mercier, spokesman for the Sherbrooke Tenants Association.
The vacancy rate in Sherbrooke is currently 0.9% (the equilibrium rate is 3%) and affordable housing is disappearing faster than ever before.
“We find that the new apartments available are 40% more expensive than other apartments compared to last year,” he adds.
Prepare for the worst
Reluctantly, Alexandre prepares as best he can to experience his first winter in the cold.
“I would at least need an all-season tent and boots, otherwise I have pretty much everything I need,” emphasizes the man, who makes sure to light a fire during the day and have a gas stove in his tent. A GoFundMe page to help him purchase the necessary equipment is also online.
Despite everything, he still hopes to find accommodation by December 1st and wants to get his life back on track by returning to school.
Can you share information about this story?
Write to us or call us directly at 1 800-63SCOOP.