Kat Bagnald knows what it’s like to be on the brink.

At the young age of 20, she’s already been through a lot. She struggled with housing insecurity since she was 16 and has spent the last four years between shelters, couches, and the streets.

Being a young person can be challenging at the best of times, but when you’re also struggling with not having a stable place to live, life becomes especially difficult.

“It’s a really taxing experience mentally for anyone, but especially for a youth who’s still got a developing brain,” said Bagnald. “It’s a really harsh environment. Youth get taken advantage of a lot, because we’re vulnerable.”

She said there are a lot of dangers youth can face while living on the streets.

“I’ve been jumped by people I’ve trusted,” she said. “It’s really dangerous out there.”

Trying to fend for yourself at such a young age can also be lonely.

“When you’re unhoused, there’s so many barriers,” said Bagnald. “There’s evident ones, like not having food and a roof over your head, but also (not) having supportive people around you as well.”

After being unable to find a shelter bed in her hometown of Halifax, Bagnald made the more-than 300-kilometre move to Yarmouth, a small town on the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia.

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Global News
December 8, 2023