Walls Within: Diary of a Housing Crisis

Circles Muskoka

Walls Within is a podcast by Circles Muskoka that explores the housing crisis in Muskoka from the perspective of those most affected. Circles community members share first-hand stories of their search for a safe, affordable and fulfilling place to call home. Through these stories, we hope to raise awareness of the scale and impact of the housing crisis and, ultimately, to inspire action. Circles Muskoka is a program provided by YWCA Muskoka. The opinions expressed within this podcast belong to the speakers alone and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of The Community YWCA of Muskoka. read less

Society & CultureSociety & Culture

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We look at the housing crisis in Muskoka from the perspective of those most affected by sharing first-hand accounts from Circles community members—their struggles, triumphs and lessons learned in their search for a place to call home. Our hope is that by sharing these stories and raising awareness of what the housing crisis looks like from the inside, we can ultimately inspire action. In this episode, we hear Aly’s story of hope and determination to build a better life for her family than the one she had growing up. Together with her husband Joel, they’ve fought hard for their lifelong dream of one day owning a home and thanks to their grit, hard work and help from Habitat from Humanity, they’ve made it. This is their story.

Episodes

We look at the housing crisis in Muskoka from the perspective of those most affected by sharing first-hand accounts from Circles community members—their struggles, triumphs and lessons learned in their search for a place to call home. Our hope is that by sharing these stories and raising awareness of what the housing crisis looks like from the inside, we can ultimately inspire action. In this episode, we hear Aly’s story of hope and determination to build a better life for her family than the one she had growing up. Together with her husband Joel, they’ve fought hard for their lifelong dream of one day owning a home and thanks to their grit, hard work and help from Habitat from Humanity, they’ve made it. This is their story.

Episode 4: Kelly

Episode 4: Kelly

We’re taking a deep dive into the local housing crisis from the perspective of those most affected. Our goal is to raise awareness of the scale and impact of the issue by sharing first-hand accounts from Circles community members and their search for a place to call home. In this episode, Kelly takes us all the way back to the beginning of her lifelong struggle to find a safe, affordable and stable home for her and her two girls. She shares her unique perspective on the journey that many women face to build an independent life for themselves, free from abuse and fear. Today, she’s got her dream job, her eldest daughter off at college, yet she’s still searching for her forever home.

Episode 3: Tracy

Episode 3: Tracy

Welcome back to Walls Within, where we share first-hand accounts from Circles community members about their search for a place to call home. In this episode, Tracy shares her struggle to keep her family’s home through abuse, divorce, a sudden health crisis, recovery and now life with a disability and chronic pain. She’s still fighting to keep her home today, unsure how much longer she can manage. For more information about Walls Within and Circles Muskoka, please visit www.circlesmuskoka.com/podcast. Please note: The opinions expressed within this episode belong to the speakers alone and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of The Community YWCA of Muskoka.

Episode 2: Janice

Episode 2: Janice

We’re exploring the housing crisis in Muskoka from the perspective of those most affected by sharing first-hand accounts from Circles community members as they search for a place to call home. In this episode, you'll hear Janice’s story. She takes us back to 2014, when she fled an abusive marriage of 34 years and her cherished family home to arrive at Chrysalis, Huntsville’s crisis shelter for abused women and their children. Please note: The opinions expressed within this episode belong to the speakers alone and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of The Community YWCA of Muskoka.

Episode 1: Brenda & Jason

Episode 1: Brenda & Jason

To many, Muskoka is known as the summer playground of the rich and famous, but behind that facade is a very different story: one about a growing town struggling with inequality and facing a serious shortage of safe, affordable housing. We're exploring the housing crisis from the perspective of those most affected by sharing first-hand accounts from Circles community members as they search for a place to call home. In this episode, Circle Leaders Brenda and Jason share their experience living in and moving out of social housing in Huntsville. Please note: The opinions expressed within this episode belong to the speakers alone and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of The Community YWCA of Muskoka.