Social agencies and advocates say rising interest rates and high inflation are pushing more Canadians into homelessness.

Chaz Smith, who was once homeless himself, said some of the clients of his BeTheChangeYYC street outreach group have been on waiting lists for affordable housing for more than five months.

He said with interest rates and inflation on the rise, it could make the rental market more difficult to enter.

害羞草研究所淢y fear is we害羞草研究所檙e going to see people default into the rental market that害羞草研究所檚 already crowded and we害羞草研究所檙e going to see an increase in homelessness throughout all of Canada,害羞草研究所� said Smith, who founded BeTheChangeYYC.

On an evening earlier this month in downtown Calgary, Smith and a group of volunteers were wheeling wagons full of bagged lunches, including meal replacements, vitamin powder and granola. They also handed out socks, emergency blankets, tarps and tents as temperatures that night reached about -20 C.

Before they reached the end of the block, they were surrounded by a group of about 80 peoplewaiting to be handed food and warmer clothing.

Smith and the other volunteers venture out several times a week to provide supplies for those in need.

害羞草研究所淚t is difficult when you have so many coming at once. This is fairly typical for us right now,害羞草研究所� Smith said as he greeted dozens of people, many who he knew by name.

He also spoke to new clients, including one man from Edmonton and another from Winnipeg.

Smith said his group helped more than 17,000 last year and many of them are new to life on the street.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 the scary part,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 talked to quite a few people who are new to homelessness and you know right away because they害羞草研究所檙e asking you, 害羞草研究所榳here are the shelters?害羞草研究所� They haven害羞草研究所檛 heard of the housing list and so you ask them, 害羞草研究所榳here are you from?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Tim Richter, CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, said the homeless sector is in crisis and it害羞草研究所檚 only going to get worse.

害羞草研究所淚 think we害羞草研究所檙e facing a quadruple whammy that害羞草研究所檚 driving a wave of new homelessness and making homelessness much worse for the people who are already there,害羞草研究所� Richter said.

He said there was already an affordable housing shortage, but there are also the lingering effects of the pandemic, the higher cost of living and the opioid crisis.

害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檝e got this perfect storm of terrible news driving people into homelessness and making homelessness, as it is, much more dangerous and more lethal,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淗omelessness is a kind of a slow-motion crisis.害羞草研究所�

Food banks are also seeing a spike in need, especially in Alberta.

The Hunger Count report, which came out nationally in October, showed Alberta saw a 73 per cent increase in food bank usage since 2019 害羞草研究所� the highest across the country.

害羞草研究所淭he increase in Alberta is really just a perfect storm of low wages, loss of wages, high housing prices, high prices for food and fuel and utilities and all of that coming together at a time when the world was kind of collapsing down on top of us,害羞草研究所� said Arianna Scott, the CEO of Food Banks Alberta.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 very similar across the country. Every province across the country you害羞草研究所檙e seeing increases and struggles.害羞草研究所�

Michael Pasma, the interim president of the Calgary Food Bank, said the demand is unprecedented.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e seeing a demand that we害羞草研究所檝e not seen before, so it is stretching our resources but we害羞草研究所檙e able to feed as many people who are coming to our door,害羞草研究所� Pasma said.

害羞草研究所淒emand is up. If you look at the same time last year, it would be about 30 percent higher.害羞草研究所�

He said the food bank is attempting to increase its output to almost 500 hampers a day with the busy Christmas season.

Inflation is also having a dramatic effect on older people in Canada.

Laura Tamblyn Watts, the CEO of CanAge, Canada害羞草研究所檚 national seniors害羞草研究所� advocacy organization, said dollars aren害羞草研究所檛 stretching as far as they did and, for the first time, even middle-income seniors are facing poverty.

害羞草研究所淒o I put my money on the heating bill or do I buy food and medications? What we are seeing can be summed up with 害羞草研究所榟eat or eat.害羞草研究所� If people only have a few hundred dollars a month to manage through 害羞草研究所� you don害羞草研究所檛 have a lot of choices,害羞草研究所� said Tamblyn Watts.

害羞草研究所淲hat it means is middle-income (earners) are feeling it harder than ever. (People with) lower income are facing dire circumstances, including the highest rate of homeless seniors we害羞草研究所檝e ever had.害羞草研究所�

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

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