Candidates go homeless for a night

Three provincial election candidates slept outside in the rain on Monday night to experience — albeit for only 10 hours — what it's like to be homeless.

With only sleeping bags and the clothes on their back, Mississauga-Erindale NDP hopeful Michelle Bilek, Dalbir Kathuria (Brampton West NDP) and Patti Chmelyk (Brampton West Green Party) spent the night (from about 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.) in Duggan Park in Brampton.

They were the only candidates in Peel's nine ridings to accept the challenge from Peel Poverty Action Group (PPAG) to see what it's like to be homeless for one night.
The trio was joined by David Cullen, a volunteer with the Brampton Neighbourhood Resource Centre who guided them and talked to them about what it's like to be on the streets. Cullen, who was homeless for 25 years, showed the candidates places frequented by the homeless, including the wooded area where they spent the night.

Bilek, who shared her experience via Twitter, told The News they met a few homeless people during the night. She said it reminded her of a period in her life when she lived in a car.

Bilek said it's still difficult to talk about how, for several months while she was a university student, she slept in her car and relied on friends and family to help her while she tried to keep up with her studies.

Of Monday night's experience, Bilek said: "It was cold and there was a little bit of fear of what was going to happen, if we were safe, but we felt the camaraderie of being together and we knew that by doing this it would bring awareness to the issue of poverty, and homelessness is at the core of it."

She added that herself, the other two candidates and Cullen spent most of the night talking about ways to eradicate homelessness.

Although she woke up cold, sore and barely rested, Bilek said it was one of the greatest, and most eye-opening, experiences of her life.

Unfortunately, she noted, things haven't gotten any better for people in recent years.
"Your pay cheque is not going very far and the cost of living is going up," she said. "We're at a critical time here in Ontario where we have to make a move to adjust and put people first and give them the support systems they need. When you're worrying about your bills all the time, you really can't live."

PPAG officials say about 1,000 people a month use homeless shelters in Peel. Furthermore, some 15,500 families are on a waiting list for homes they can afford — and they'll be waiting for as long as 20 years.