World Homeless Action Day

Photos by Mike Maloney/London Community News/Twitter: mdmaloneyphoto ‘How would you cope?’ was the question posed on the side of a cardboard home erected on the lawn of St. Paul’s Cathedral. The structure was one of 40 set up as part of a thought-provoking display set up on Wednesday (Oct. 10) in front of the church, located at the corner of Richmond Street and Queens Avenue, to mark World Homeless Action Day. The cardboard town was created by members of the London Homeless Coalition (LHC) and various local community service groups and agencies, with the purpose to raise awareness of both the need for, and lack of, affordable housing in the area. “We have a real crisis,” said Abe Oudshoorn, an LHC member and one of the organizers behind the event at St. Paul’s. “People need to know homelessness is an issue our community. Oudshoorn talked about the need for affordable housing, pointing out there are thousands of people on the waiting list in London but only a few hundred units currently planned to be added to the city’s roster. He further illustrated his point with the fact that there are many people ready to move out of shelters, “but we just have no place for them to go.” “The only solution for homelessness is housing,” said Oudshoorn. Find us on Facebook: London Community News