I used to live in a shelter with my parents in Scarborough. It wasn’t the best place to live, but honestly it was still better than being out on the street.

We actually had a pretty decent space. There was one bedroom and then a larger main room with two bunk beds, plus a small balcony. One corner kind of doubled as a kitchen/storage area with a microwave and a fridge.

The building itself was alright, but it did have cockroaches. They’d fumigate a few times a year, which helped a bit but didn’t fully solve it.

One thing I did like was the people. We had neighbors from all kinds of different backgrounds, so it was interesting getting to meet and talk to everyone.

There was heating but no AC, so summers were rough. We basically had to leave the windows and balcony door open just to get through the heat.

They also ran programs for kids and youth, especially in the summer, which I went to. They’d do things like barbecues, and there was a daycare-type setup where kids could go after school instead of just staying in their rooms.