A definition of health that considers the importance of housing
Darlene Stimson is a mental health and poverty advocate. Recently, her son Adam passed away because of a respiratory infection.
“When his housing situation became more precarious, it really affected him,” says Darlene. “I lost count of the number of times he called me in tears because another landlord refused to rent to him because he was on ODSP.”
In fall 2016, Darlene and Adam were forced to leave their apartment. Darlene has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and Adam experienced suicidal ideation. For the last nine months of his life, Adam lived in a number of homeless shelters. His mental and physical health worsened.
A long-time member of CAMH’s Empowerment Council and Constituency Council, Darlene believes Adam would still be alive if he had had stable housing and a stronger social safety net.
“I know what living in a shelter did to Adam in terms of wilting away his self-esteem. I can’t stress enough how important stable housing is for wellness. I’m trying to hang on to the fact he’s not in pain anymore, but the advocate and social justice warrior in me simply cannot walk away from this.”
Darlene Stimson, Mental health and poverty advocate
