United Way Films Ad With Doorbell Cam To Highlight Halifax Homelessness Issue
The video shows scenes of typical holiday happiness that occurs inside a family’s home during Christmas. Kids making a snowman, a snowball fight, smiling visitors bringing gifts. All while a somber rendition of “Silent Night” plays in the background.
But at the end of the video, off in the distance, a lone man is seen lugging a cart up the road. Then a message appears:
“Not everyone has a home for the holidays.”
This is the newest ad campaign from United Way Halifax to bring attention to the growing homelessness and housing crisis facing the city as winter approaches. The entire video was shot through the lens of a house’s doorbell camera, befitting the issues at hand.
“We’re seeing the number of people that are living in poverty and are experiencing housing issues have been increasing,” said Liz Struijf-Mandishora, the director of revenue development and donor engagement for United Way Halifax, in an interview.
“And it’s really an issue right now in our community in Halifax, so we realized it was really important for us to address this issue.”
This will be the hardest winter yet on the streets of Halifax. According to United Way’s own numbers, Halifax’s homelessness population has doubled within the last year. And with rent still rising to unaffordable levels, the organization warns that there are many Haligonians just “a few missed payments away” from being on the streets or couch surfing.
“About 12 percent of people who live in Halifax live in poverty,” said Struijf-Mandishora. “You have the people that are already experiencing homelessness.“
“And then you also have the people that are living on the edge. We’ve seen a real shift, not only from the numbers of people actually living in poverty but people that are on that edge where they can easily be tipped into the space of homelessness.”
United Way Halifax provides donations to 35 different organizations across the HRM that are fighting homelessness and poverty in the city. The organization also acts as a “convener,” bringing together all the stakeholders involved in solving the housing crisis. They also directly fund their own programs that deal with housing and homelessness.
United Way is asking people to donate to the organization if they can afford to do so.
One major issue United Way Halifax has been working on is the lack of non-profit housing in the city. It’s well-recognized that more housing outside of the market is one of the key issues that needs to be addressed.
“Non-market housing continues to be a work in progress,” said Struijf-Mandishora. “How do we come together with others to figure out a way of bringing in nonmarket housing? It’s definitely one of the longer-term solutions that we are exploring at this point.”
But there is a short-term worry on top of everyone’s mind. The days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder, leaving the most vulnerable in Halifax at risk.
“We’re working together with others to figure out how we make sure that people are not going to be stuck experiencing the elements,” said Struijf-Mandishora. This is definitely going to be something that is a challenge for our city.”
“We’re looking to address this issue right now to make sure that people do not end up being outdoors in the freezing cold, and we’re also looking at longer-term solutions that really address the issue itself.”
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].