Our guys don’t have somewhere to go’: Trudeau government criticized for taking too long to fund Indigenous housing – Toronto Star
February 27, 2024
Housing organizations supporting Indigenous people say they are desperate for the money Ottawa’s new housing strategy is preparing to distribute.
OTTAWA — Karl Cousineau has been living in shelters for half of his life.
Raised in foster care from age nine after losing his father, Cousineau moved from Ottawa to Toronto when he was 20, looking for resources and supports he couldn’t find at home. From there, he would go down a path of drugs and addiction for the next decade, living on the streets and in shelters in Toronto, Saskatoon and downtown Vancouver.
Three years ago, Cousineau hit rock bottom. Still suffering from addiction, he went back to Ottawa to care for his younger sister during the last year of her life as she lost her battle with cancer.
“Nobody was willing to help me at that point so, I just figured, just go back to Toronto,” said Cousineau, 37.
