Art’s Story: “No-one deserves to be homeless.”

“Before this building was even built, I used to sleep in that lane over there,” shares Art.

He’s a soft-spoken artist and poet, and he survived over a decade of being homeless. Today, he lives in Coast Mental Health’s Dunbar Apartments, a supported housing facility provided by BC Housing in the heart of Dunbar.

“I could never afford to get a place,” Art explains. “What I did, was what the other homeless people did – just get a good sleeping bag and try to find a safe, warm place to sleep.

“I survived ten years of that, mostly because I was stubborn. I think living outside makes you older quicker. I feel like I’m a hundred.”

“A lot of people gave me stuff, but no one was giving me a place to live”

Coast Mental Health helps folks by giving them secure, supportive housing.

And, thanks to our generous donors, we’re able to offer meal programs and medication support. Through your donations, residents enjoy a free healthy breakfast three days a week, as well as nightly dinner. That help makes a big difference to folks like Art – he has celiac disease and needs to take special care with his nutrition. The breakfasts include a wide variety of items to choose from, such as eggs, fruit, cereal, and peanut butter and jam for toast.

A hard adjustment

At first, it was hard to adjust to indoor living.

“I was actually awake for the first 72 hours while I was here, because it was so overpowering. Like, I can sleep with both eyes closed now. When I came to this building, they gave me this nice, soft, comfortable bed. I slept in it for one night. When I could barely get up the next morning, I just… I asked them to remove my bed, and I just slept on the floor on my balcony.

“Sometimes I still sleep outside. It’s hard to burn out of me, living on the street. You know, I never really took the time to dwell too much back in my life. But since I moved in here, it’s like, thank you. Got to have my paintings and my books and my writing.”

Years of habits from his time on the streets are hard to drop: “You know, to this day, I can’t walk past the blue recycle boxes without looking. That’s how we used to make a living out there. We didn’t get social assistance or anything. We picked up recycling. And to this day I can’t just walk past one, I need to look. It’s like I’m hypnotized or something,” he says.

Enjoying life

Recovery can be a long road, but Art is making the most of every day. Today, Art participates in gardening, BINGO, games and movie nights. He’s financially secure, and his art and poetry are flourishing. Here’s a poem he shared with us:

The leaves on the trees speak as the wind has taught them

Speaking words that are never understood

Screaming, as the wind grows stronger

Some falling earthward, only to have the pond silence her speech.

Grateful

Thanks to your support for housing with wrap-around services, Coast is helping more folks like Art feel at home.

“No-one deserves to be homeless,” says Art. “Everyone should have a place to go and feel safe. The staff are wonderful here. When I go downstairs, say at 3:00 in the morning, I look in the office and there’s a staff member there. I feel like I’m not afraid anymore. This place feels like home, honest to God.”

“Thanks to Coast for saving my life, because I would have died out there,” Art says. 

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This video was filmed when Art first moved into his new housing at Dunbar, over a decade ago. He continues to live, and thrive there.