"My name is Chris, I've been sitting in the rain here for three hours." Chris has been living on the streets for two years since loosing his job after injuring his back. He worked as a furniture mover, but because his job was "under the table," he is not eligible for workers compensation. Because of his back injury he is unable to find employment and has to live on the streets and pan-handle to get by. "If I had any other option, I wouldn't be sitting in the rain at night in the winter."

S.T. (who asked me not to use his real name) has been on disabilities since he was 18 years old for his heart problems, weight problems and breathing problems. He uses an old respirator here to catch his breath after climbing the stairs to get to his small apartment. Because of his health problems, he is unable to find employment “I would love to get a job and everything else, but I am not capable because of the sickness in my body and people don’t understand that.” The small amount he does get from disabilities is just enough to cover the rent for his room, but after paying his rent he is left with just $250 a month to survive on. Most of this $250 has to cover his hydro bills and whatever is left goes to food, as a result he often has to turn to the streets to panhandle for enough money to put food in his fridge. “How can a person survive on $250 a month with the cost of living in Toronto? And every year the rent goes up!” S.T. asks. “But I’m not the only one. There are hundreds of other people out there like me going through the same thing. I know a lot of people who get disability and have to pay high rent and do the same thing I’m doing. But I believe that if enough people speak out like I do, housing will definitely come down in price. Something just has to be done. There should be more low-income housing, the rent in Toronto shouldn’t be as high as it is; people like me don’t deserve this.”

S.T. looks in his empty fridge. After paying his rent, there is very little left over to spend on food and other necessities. As a result, S.T. often has to swallow his pride and pan-handle on the streets.