Sarah is a recent graduate of McGill's Institute of Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies. She was drawn to her studies after years of volunteering directly with her local communities through shelters and helplines. Through her studies, she examined the many ways we must overhaul our norms, ideals and institutions to re-create a world that values people over profit.

Her project stems from the question; in a society filled with excess, why does homelessness persist? Canada is supposed to be benevolent, yet annually hundreds of thousands go without the basic dignity of stable housing. Through her podcasts, Sarah will unite diverse perspectives to understand the complexities of Canada's housing crisis and how we can bring an end to homelessness.

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Project goals: ‍

1. Encourage a collective rethinking of stereotypes of worth/lessness, to further a recognition of housing as a fundamental human right.

2. Explore options of redirecting police funding towards housing and health care, such as Housing-First* policies.

COVID-19 has ignited a public reckoning with the ugly truth of who Canada has always cast aside. COVID-19 has also shown the power of unity. Sarah's project will be grounded in this potential.

‍*Housing First (HF) policies get people out of shelters and into homes. In countries like Finland, HF policies have been successful. It is time for us to provide housing to all, no strings attached.

Bundle of arrows backdrop inspiration: Prof. Iakotennikonhrare Gabrielle Doreen taught me about Kasastenshera - the power of common unity. She used an illustrative Kanien'kehá:ka proverb to summarize this principle: "one arrow is easily broken, whereas a bundle of arrows cannot be bent."