Voices of the Housing Crisis in Lunenburg County

“I never imagined it could happen to me,” Julie* says. She is a soft-spoken, thoughtful woman who lives in Bridgewater with her husband and her mother. They recently moved into a new apartment and Julie is grateful for the roof over her head because she spent several months without one.

It started during the pandemic when Julie’s husband had his work hours cut. They lived in a rental apartment at the time but with less work, the rent and power bills piled up. They soon had to leave their home with little notice and nowhere to go.

“It’s very hard to find a place when you are in that predicament,” Julie says.

Through Souls Harbour, Julie found the South Shore Open Doors Association (SSODA). Based in Bridgewater and serving all of Lunenburg and Queens counties, SSODA’s mission is to “open doors” to safe, appropriate, energy-efficient, and affordable housing. SSODA believes that housing must come first but also offers programs to help people access healthcare, food programs, transportation, financial planning and other supports that are part of the housing crisis.

For Julie, SSODA helped to secure social assistance for her mother and found temporary housing in a hotel. Living in a hotel was better than the possibility of living in a tent, Julie says, but the instability was a strain on the family’s mental health and on Julie’s marriage.

There are very few affordable units in the area and, as the months went by, Julie felt hopeless. But she persisted—and so did SSODA. When an apartment came up in a new build, SSODA asked if Julie would take it. She did.

“We love our new place,” she says. “The heat is included and so is a dishwasher. I’ve never had a dishwasher in my life!”

Julie feels that she is on a different path and now wants to help others. But she also wants people to know that this can happen to anyone. “It can sneak up on you,” she says. “That changes the way you look at things."

According to SSODA, there are almost 200 people in Lunenburg/Queens currently experiencing homelessness and almost 50 experiencing “chronic” homelessness. Billy* is one.

This winter and last, Billy lived in a hut, a pilot project on the grounds of St. Joseph’s church in Bridgewater. The hut is small but has a bed and heat. There is a portable toilet but no shower facilities and nowhere to store or cook food. Still, Billy says, “I lucked out.”

If it weren’t for the hut, which he found through SSODA, Billy would be back on the street where he has lived on and off for years. In fact, he expects that he will give up the hut this summer, as he did last summer, to make room for someone in greater need.

“I’ve known homeless people in Bridgewater since I was 17,” he says, and he’s now in his thirties. “There are a lot.”

Although housing insecurity is not new in rural areas, it is getting worse, in part because it is often hidden. Billy also spent time in Dartmouth where he lived for a time under a bridge. He says homelessness is different in rural areas because people don’t believe it’s a problem. They tend to think there is lots of work and everyone should get a job

“The whole get-a-job thing really bugs me,” Billy says. “I’ve had jobs that pay decent money but they are temporary, and I have nowhere to shower before or after. I have nowhere to cook meals. It’s hard on your mental health. If people think it’s so easy, they should try living outside for a week but still go to their job.”

He agrees that the solution is more affordable housing for everyone, but his biggest wish is to be reunited with his son. “Being under the same roof as my son is the only thing that matters to me,” he says. For that, he needs stable housing so he can plan for the future. Even his current hut is not guaranteed. “It’s really hard to think about getting ahead when I always have to think about staying where I am.”

Billy tries to stay positive, and he helps others as much as he can. He is articulate and candid about his situation and often very funny. But he’s serious when he talks about another part of the solution, something that’s free and could happen right away.

“Every homeless person has been put down to a point where they don’t feel human,” he says. “If I’m at the Bridgewater mall, I’m seen as a problem. But there is a reason for everything I do and for the way I look. Try to understand. Treat us like we’re human.”

*Julie is not her real name. Billy requested that his real name be used in this article.