Working in the Homelessness Sector: A Memorable Experience

 By Emeka Ezeh, 1st year MDP student

I am currently working on my first placement with the University of Winnipeg in collaboration with End Homelessness Winnipeg. We are working on an Indigenous Focused Pandemic Response Plan for the homelessness sector. By reviewing case study cites around Canada, we were able to look at their roles and involvement in assisting the homeless populace during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am working with a team of 5 researchers who critically applied their knowledge and expertise on different sectors involving homelessness.

I worked on the human rights-based approach to housing and the Reaching Home Strategy enacted by the legislation in 2019. I researched the implementation of the strategy in Canada and Winnipeg in particular, successes, and lessons learned. I also researched the history of rights-based approach to housing and how the rights to housing affect other rights like rights to life, rights to privacy, rights to vote, rights to social security, etc. Canada being a signatory to international conventions that fully support and advocate for the rights to adequate housing signifies its unending commitment to ensuring the eradication of homelessness in Canada.

One of the challenges of working during the COVID-19 pandemic was working outside my comfort zone (interacting with people and working in the fields) as this was an unfamiliar experience for me.

The screen time was also a little challenging as I was looking forward to meeting my team in person and comprehensively discuss complex issues on homelessness in Canada.

Great Experience at End Homelessness Winnipeg Despite COVID-19 Pandemic

By Babatunde Alabi, 1st year MDP student

Finally, my 3-month domestic field placement with End Homelessness Winnipeg came to successful completion. During this placement, I worked on the 2018 Winnipeg Street Health Survey project, where I acquired new technical skills, improved on my research skills, and became more informed and better grounded in the subject of homelessness in Canada, particularly in Winnipeg. I also used both my previously and newly acquired skills and knowledge to contribute my little quota to the understanding of the various pathways to homelessness for people marginalized along multiple social identities and how these identities interact to form complex experiences for them.

My work involved supporting the analysis of the Indigenous and gender-based quantitative data, which I used in developing a draft in-depth report of the research. Other activities that I engaged in included searching and creating a database for funding opportunities for the proposed follow up qualitative study aimed at determining housing needs and preferences of Indigenous people experiencing homelessness. Also, I took minutes of meeting at research team meetings, as well as project advisory committee meetings.

My time with End Homelessness Winnipeg, working on the 2018 Winnipeg Street Health Survey, was indeed an exciting and rewarding one. I am particularly glad because I would be listed as a co-author in the final report, a recognition and gesture of reciprocity from my host organization, which I do not take for granted. I hope that this report would help to enrich the understanding of relevant organizations, community groups, and government, and inform policy and program development capable of addressing systemic issues facilitating homelessness in Winnipeg in a sustainable manner.

Translating Classroom Learning into Field Experience in the Era of COVID 19 Pandemic

By Babatunde Alabi, 1st year MDP student

My ongoing domestic field placement with End Homelessness Winnipeg (EHW) has so far been an exciting learning experience. It serves as an avenue to put into practice some of what I had learned in the classroom, as well as the opportunity to acquire a deeper understanding of one of Canada's most recognizable development challenges; the scourge of homelessness.

EHW is an organization that aims to create lasting solutions that prevent and end homelessness. The four pillars upon which EHW rests include prevention, person-centered supports, housing supply, and measurement. It is no longer news that Indigenous people are over represented in the population experiencing homelessness in Canada. The organization's approach to putting an end to homelessness therefore stems from its core values guided by the fact that housing is not just a human right that must be respected but that must also be protected within the ambits of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), as well as Canada's Truth and Reconciliation effort which the organization considers as an important path to ending homelessness.

Joining EHW at a time when the organization is analyzing the 2018 Street Health Survey (SHS) has allowed me to translate my classroom knowledge of research methodologies and statistics into actual practice. My roles and responsibilities during this placement include supporting Indigenous and gender-specific data analysis and writing of final research reports.

One of the most exciting aspects of my placement, occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, is working remotely from the comfort of my home to deliver on tasks and maintaining seamless virtual connections with teammates through video conferencing platforms. I have particularly enjoyed the remote working experience as it has increased my self-confidence and my ability to work independently while at the same time delivering on tasks without compromising on quality.