Stories from the Streets: A new home for Jenn and Jason

Over the past six months, 650 CKOM senior reporter Lara Fominoff spent time with several people who are homeless, or recently considered themselves homeless. Each of their stories and experiences is unique.

In the final instalment of our four-part series “Stories from the Streets,” we meet Jenn Roy and Jason Davidson, who have finally found a home.

One of the first things most people might notice about 40-year-old Jenn Roy and 43-year-old Jason Davidson is their turquoise ukelele.

Late on a January night, it was too cold to play the instrument, but Davidson had it slung over his shoulder as he and his girlfriend walked towards the Saskatoon warming bus, parked on 20th Street in front of City Centre Church.

Once on board the bus, they settled into their seats with cups of hot soup, and agreed to an interview.

“I knew (Jenn) actually a long time ago when we were younger — probably like 14 years old,” said Davidson.

“I was younger than that,” said Roy.

The two connected again in their 30s and have been together for six years. Both said they had been addicted to opioids for several years, but were now on methadone — a drug used to treat opioid addiction.

“Before, I was doing hydromorphone and I got off that. I’m on methadone now for five years,” said Roy. “I was also addicted to heroin for a while and that sucked because I got cut off from that cold turkey and that really hurt.”

“I lost 80 pounds,” added Davidson. “I almost died. I couldn’t even take a bath. The drug took hold.”

READ MORE:

Part 1: Kaylene’s Story
Part 2: A day in the life of Michael Bourgouin
Part 3: ‘I’ve been using drugs since I was 10’: Faron’s Story

Davidson said his current addiction was crystal meth.

“I’ve cut down, though. I don’t shoot up no more. I remember doing that every day,” he said.

As they finished their soup and snacks, they mentioned they were on their way home. As recently as last summer, though, both were living on the street.

“We were homeless until about August,” said Roy.

“A bad landlord kicked us out,” added Davidson. “We do a bit of drugs. What they do to people who do drugs is they throw them out. They treat them like crap. I know, people made bad choices, but they still shouldn’t do that.”

Davidson claimed the landlord, whom he didn’t name, then rented out their apartment to another person with all of the couple’s furnishings inside.

“That’s not cool,” Davidson said. “Just because of that, we were homeless for a bit.”

The couple was able to find another apartment before winter, a time when Roy said it was especially difficult for homeless people in Saskatoon to find shelter from the cold.

“The wintertime, I don’t think I can even imagine being on the streets. It’s much more shittier in the wintertime than the summertime,” she added.

Roy wished there were more services to help those who are currently homeless, including warmup shelters and housing opportunities.

“Saskatoon doesn’t have near enough resources for the homeless, for the amount of people on the streets, you know? It’s sad,” she said.

“People are freezing out here,” Davidson continued. “They tore down a school (Princess Alexandra). It would have probably been one of the best places to make a homeless shelter. That little school on (Avenue) H. That was the most stupidest thing they ever did. They opened a church up. I know it was a Jehovah Witness place there, and it’s big there, but still it’s not in the heart of where the homeless (are).”

Roy said most people living on the streets had an addiction, but she added she was tired of people being treated “like crap” compared with someone who had a 9-to-5 job.

“We’re all the same. Don’t look down on us because we have an addiction or people are homeless. Honestly, some of the best people I’ve met have been from the streets. They honestly have been more family than my own family at times,” she added.

Davidson echoed that sentiment.

“Friends on the street, they give you the shirt off their back to help you out. It’s the truth,” he said.