ZINE: Navigating Peterborough’s homelessness system

If you were homeless in Peterborough, where would you look for help?

Our research suggests that the answer to that question isn’t simple, at least not to the people with experience of homelessness we spoke to in 2022.

Aiden said he wished there was a pamphlet or some other information source that laid out what services were available to whom.

Caitlin said she wished workers were more forthcoming with their ideas and knowledge; she said you have to know what to ask for before they’ll provide information about supports. So she recommends talking to others in similar circumstances to figure out a way forward. “A lot of the stuff that I found out about, like different services, has just been through word of mouth,” she said.

“It was learn as you go,” said John.

The fourth zine in our Park Stories series documents what we heard from people experiencing homelessness about how to navigate the local homelessness system. You can read it in a digital format or request a print copy.

Click here to read “Park Stories: Navigating the System” in a PDF.

Printed copies of Park Stories Issue Four: Navigating the System. We have lots of these, get in touch if you want a copy!

In the summer of 2022, the Research for Social Change Lab interviewed 48 people with experience of homelessness in Peterborough as part of our review of the local Coordinated Access system.

We’re sharing the stories we heard during those interviews in a series of zines called Park Stories. Previous issues have focused on people’s experiences of jail and criminalization and people’s experiences trying to hold on to their belongings.

Please follow the lab as we’ll continue to release the zines through the summer of 2023. If you prefer print copies, please get in touch and we can arrange a pick up or delivery. We have a lot of print copies and are excited to share them!