WARNING: This column contains references to sexual assault and suicide. In early 2019, I could no longer pay the rent and put food on the table at the same time. Then I found myself homeless in rural Manitoba, just outside of Steinbach. And that’s when my Employment Assistance worker gave me some advice — go to Winnipeg and look for shelters there. There would be more to choose from. So I did. But. Resources in Winnipeg proved not to be easily accessible. There are so many roadblocks, I felt like they were only put in place to keep the homeless exactly where they are: in a constant state of survival of the fittest. Most of the time, I couldn’t get into the shelters as they were full — and there was a waiting list of several months. So I occasionally traded sex for a place to stay and food to eat. I often ended up badly assaulted and on one occasion I actually ended up being held as a sex hostage. Wiebe rests exhausted after seeking shelter in Winnipeg. “All I could do was sit there and cry,” she says. (Lisa Wiebe) Yes, if I sat outside any McDonald’s long enough, someone would be kind enough to buy me a coffee, and there was always someone willing to take me to one of the shelters. The viewers thought they were helping me. But again the shelters were usually full. And when you’re homeless, the key to survival is to constantly be on the move. Take rest breaks, but never stay in one place for too long. It is not safe.
“Shelter or food. No both’
On one occasion, I stopped to help another homeless man, a visibly distressed man trying to light his cigarette. At that point, he grabbed my arm and tried to drag me into a back alley, mumbling lots of talk about making nice babies. If it wasn’t for the very tall stranger who grabbed the man by the shoulder and told me to leave, I don’t know where I’d be today. While I was on the streets in Winnipeg, I was able to apply for housing in Manitoba, but was told to wait eight weeks. I was denied all the rentals I applied for. I never saw the inside of a bunker. I never found any useful resources. Wiebe says life on the streets left her “emotionally broken.” (Lisa Wiebe) It was quite difficult to find a place to go to the bathroom as most of the public toilets were locked or only for paying customers. Work Income Support stopped me at one point because I didn’t have a fixed address. (I was homeless.) At least, that’s what the worker told me. I fought it and finally got some benefits. But only the basic – the minimum. That left me with the choice of shelter or food. Not both. I found myself crouched against the outside wall of McDonald’s… with no strength to go any further.- Lisa Wiebe Once, the crisis stabilization unit admitted me because I felt suicidal after my sexual assaults. But it didn’t help me much. They gave me the rental ads every day and a day pass to go look at rentals. I had a cell phone, though it wasn’t connected to any service, so there was no way I could make phone calls unless I was connected to public Wi-Fi. I was given no counseling or any real help for what I had actually come in for (the sexual assault) and instead, I was left back on the street days later — still homeless and still very traumatized.
“I tried to get back to Steinbach”
That night I tried to get back to Steinbach – over 60km away – but after three hours of walking in the rain with over 20kg of clothes and essentials on my back through some very rough neighborhoods I found myself crouched against the outside wall of a McDonald’s on the eastern edge of the city limits of Winnipeg, without power to go further. All I could do was sit there and cry while begging anyone and everyone on my Facebook page for some kind of help. I ended up with another ride to a shelter at four in the morning, only to be turned away again. I was told there was no room and they don’t accept anyone after a certain point in the evening. I was told to come back at a decent time tomorrow and try again. I never went back to the shelter. Wiebe leaves Winnipeg after a religious retreat offered support to Steinbach. “The director promised me that if I could find a way to get back to Steinbach he could help,” she says. (Lisa Wiebe) Instead, I contacted Steinbach Community Outreach, which operates a Christian homeless shelter in that city. It is not a government agency and is not funded by the government. And here I was, emotionally broken and penniless in Winnipeg. But they said they would take me in. The principal promised me that if I could find a way to get back there, she could help. A little over 24 hours later, I found a ride in Steinbach and left Winnipeg. If you or someone you know is struggling, here’s where you can get help: Support is also available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety or the safety of others around you, call 911.
