“For a while, I was genuinely considering jail. It’s a roof over my head, it’s three meals a day and it's stability. That’s how bad the housing crisis is right now.”
Milligan has been struggling to find adequate housing for several months. It hasn’t been easy. The most recent statistical numbers available – from October 2021 – show Summerside’s vacancy rate at a negligible 0.9 per cent.“For a while, I was genuinely considering jail. It’s a roof over my head, it’s three meals a day and it's stability. That’s how bad the housing crisis is right now,” he said.For most of his life, Milligan lived with his grandparents.
“If people actually realized how close they are to being homeless. It’s often only a factor of one or two paycheques.”The situation got so bad that Milligan’s doctor recommended he stop working because of the extreme mental strain he was under. He has been receiving help from social assistance ever since.
Emergency shelters can also be provided at local hotel rooms but that arrangement was also noted to have its own problems. As part of an announcement earlier this year, the province committed to funding an emergency shelter for men in Summerside. A request for proposals for that shelter was issued and, according to a statement by the Department of Social Development and Housing, one organization submitted an application for review and is working with the province to develop it.
This is just a bump on the road of his life, he said. It's one he intends to get through it. His focus remains on the upcoming school year and the opportunities that will bring for him long-term. In the short-term, though, he’s just trying to survive day-to-day.
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