So, what is the HSF? It's a total joke. It's there to insult us. It'd be awesome to see the statistics on how many people have actually been eligible for HSF. What does it take to be eligible? Well, there's the criteria on their website, and then of course there's the critical bit of info they left out: they won't help you keep your current place unless you're facing eviction, and they won't help you move unless you're moving to a place with markedly lower rent. Apparently, if you can prove that you're facing eviction and your new rent is going to be pretty much the same, then they might provide funding. Might.
Also, it's a limited fund. So all HSF applicants are competing for the same money, and when it runs out, nobody's eligible anymore.
If you're moving into a new place where you DON'T have a lease (and, really, is anything in the range that's covered going to possibly involve a lease? yeah, I don't think so... hey, what a great place, only $475, I can afford that, can I see the lease please?) then you won't be able to get first and last. You'll be able to get one rent payment to move in. Why? Because apparently leaseholders aren't allowed to ask first and last from their subletters. Are you laughing out loud yet, or crying? So you can only get first and last if you can present them with the lease, with your name on it. Sounds like the same old chicken and the egg thing as ever, right? Sounds like the same old "I wonder if I can find a landlord who's gonna be cool with me being on benefits, and who's gonna be cool with talking about it on our first meeting, and identifying themselves to the government?" dilemma.
But especially the part about how you have to be moving to a cheaper place, in order to get the funds. That's really rich. The idea that we're gonna find cheaper places! I mean, just the comedy in that, goddamn it's terrible.
So, this is one of those application calls that you might want to have your social worker make. The staff at this particular office are really, especially hateful, judgemental, and rude. They're totally ready to spoil your month, not just by telling you all about how the HSF is set up to never be applicable to anyone, but also how your reasons for needing demonstrate what an irresponsible person you are. Really. They will point out exactly why you're wrong for expecting a bailout, and they'll do it in the rudest way possible. Almost like they've had training on how to push people over the edge and give them nervous breakdowns.
Meanwhile, other public servants, like caseworkers and stuff, all have no idea how limited the HSF criteria are, and how totally mean their staff are, so they're sending their clients to the HSF with totally crazy expectations, like... yeah, you might get offered subsidized housing next month, good thing there's the HSF to cover moving costs... NO THEY WON'T! Oh, had an injury and couldn't make it to soup kitchens for two months, had to spend the rent money on food, now I'm borrowing to make rent, now there's no food money for the next two months, good thing they're here to help me catch up on rent... NO THEY WON'T! Oh, had to replace my bike and all my clothes at the last minute and I'm outta rent money, good thing... NO THEY WON'T!
The HSF has been carefully crafted to create the perfect window dressing solution. It's there for the public to point at, grateful to have a municipal government that patches the holes created by the provincial one (like repeated slashing of benefits), and all the while, rather than preventing homelessness, it's promoting it. It's just crazy to think that people are being paid to tell us we can't get this benefit. If you call them up, try asking "have you granted the funds to anyone this week... or this month?" The fund actually depends on us finding cheaper rent than we already have, right at the time when we're being evicted. That's pretty fucked up.
The harshest thing though, is really the way they treat clients over the phone. If you ask too many questions, they keep saying they're going to talk with your ODSP worker, like it's a threat. I'm like, holy fuck, you evil, crazy person, if my ODSP worker ever heard a recording of this conversation, he'd whistle blow the shit out of your crazy office. Y'all need to get shut the fuck down right away for abusing Toronto residents.
The HSF is here to ruin our lives. So just know that. It's here to make you homeless. Or inspire you to suicide or something like that. Don't take the bait. Just realize, it's just another government organization that's trying to make you want to kill yourself. That's nothing new. The school system didn't make you do it, the justice system didn't make you do it, the stupid employment scene didn't make you do it, don't let HSF get you out of control. Just get your social worker to call them instead of doing it yourself. If you have anybody who can make phone calls like that on your behalf to shield you from being traumatized by other government workers (this is actually a common assignment for them), then do that. Don't make this call yourself. They're just that cruel, on the phone. They know exactly how to make you feel like scum.
Apparently what it's really designed to do is to help people in shelters to move into housing. It got touted as a replacement for Community Start-up, but anybody at the actual office that administrates it will tell you flat-out that that's not what it's supposed to be. It's not focused on helping people who are already housed to move, it's not focused on helping us recover from falling behind on bills and stuff, and it's not here to help us afford a new spot when we're getting kicked out - because there are no cheaper places, for any of us. Who here is going to pay less for their next bedroom than they currently pay? Nobody. No fucking person.
So, yeah. Fuck the HSF. Fuck everybody who contributed to designing the program. Fuck the staff for having any part in it. And especially, fuck the McGuinty/Wynne liberal piece of shit provincial government for their austerity bullshit. Talk about taking the province back to the dark ages. Shall I shovel your horse's shit too, me lady Wynne? Fuck her for promising to be the "social justice premier." Fuck her. What a total piece of shit. Fuck her. Fuck Dalton McGuinty even harder. What a fucking piece. Go to hell, Dalton McGuinty. Go to hell, Kathleen Wynne. And of course, go to hell, Miller, you scum-sucking reptile. I hope your children murder you in your sleep. I call a fatwa on your whole fucking clique. Die in horrendous pain while eating all of our shit, after it's been mixed together and fermented, and rot in hell forever. All three of you pieces of shit deserve to be lynched by an angry mob. And I hope it happens. I would be so fucking happy to see you three pieces of shit nailed to the highest post and left to rot in the sun while we throw shit at you. You fucking scumbags.
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