François is 59 years old. Today, he is living in transitional housing after a period of great instability and drug use that saw him lose his home and wind up on the street.
After 25 years of marriage and two children, Français found himself divorced and all alone in his condo. After he met a woman from the street and started using drugs with her, everything fell apart. “We used drugs until all of my money ran out, and I had to sell my condo to pay my debts. That put us out on the street.”
To find support, he started going to the day centre at Pas de la rue, a community agency that helps people aged 55 and over who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness.
Shelters and housing centres everywhere are seeing the same thing: the population in a situation of homelessness is getting older.
Over the passing weeks, his reality hit him full force. “I was downtown next to the Berri metro station, and the only things I had left were my bags. I said to her, ‘I have no choice, I have to leave.’ I hugged her, got on the metro, and left. That’s when I started going to therapy.”
As he was finishing his program, he was offered a place to live at Pas de la rue. “I still had a week and a half of therapy left when I was told I had an apartment in the Relais program. I was so happy.”
François moved into an apartment and began to rebuild his life. He is learning to cook, maintain his apartment, and keep a budget. A counsellor helps him set realistic and concrete goals.
At the day centre, he has a routine, meals, activities and, above all, a community. “We’ve become a bit like a family.”
“You have to relearn how to live, and maybe even learn how to live with yourself.”
Today, François is celebrating four years of sobriety. He has reconnected with his children and now sees his son every week and his daughter regularly too. He has also become a grandfather. “I’m so glad to be here now to experience these moments. It’s really amazing!”
While he recognizes that he has received a great deal of support, he stresses the importance of personal commitment. “What I say to people is that, if they want to get out, they can get out.”
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