A BITTER PILL FOR SOCIETY

We found her under a soggy sleeping bag on a cold February morning last
year. The 20-something blonde was wedged in a narrow alleyway between two
Whalley businesses, sleeping in a fetal position- a box of Kraft Dinner
clutched in her right hand.

She woke, friendly and unafraid of the two strangers by her side, one with
a camera, the other with a notepad.

An ugly argument with her boyfriend left her with no place to stay, until
"whenever..."

Photographer Evan Seal and I spent months up in Whalley, photographing and
talking to Surrey's homeless.

They were far too easy to find - on any given night there are as many as
200 sleeping on North Surrey streets.

We learned the homeless are as diverse a group as you'll get, some between
jobs, others running from violent relationships, some runaway kids, many
more mentally challenged, and a great number drug-addicted.

The latter is the case with Terry and Christie, whose story is told in this
issue of The Leader. For 10 months, Seal followed the pair, who are just as
devoted to each other as the drugs they ingest.

In many ways, the couple break some of the myths about homelessness and
addiction.

Their main source of income is drug dealing. At least until this fall,
Terry had never been on welfare. They refuse to beg, or squeegee windows
for coins. They won't steal property for resale.

During the day, most people wouldn't give Terry a second look. He's young,
reasonably healthy, affable - not someone you'd think was homeless.

But at night, when he's not in jail, he finds a spot where he and his gal
can sleep.

Parks. Doorways. One of the myriad nooks and crannies around Whalley
buildings that provide haven from the cold, thieves and cops.

Their tale unfolded during the city's crackdown on Whalley.

The two spent more time in jail after the clean-up initiative started
(Terry always looks better fed when he returns from jail) but they always
returned to sleeping on the streets.

Many would argue these two are living on Surrey streets by choice.

But Terry and Christie are sick, with the chronic and lethal disease of
addiction.

Increased police presence is not going to make them well.

More jail time won't find them a home.

We need a full array of addictions services, including a detox centre. We
also need a continuum of living arrangements, including transition and
affordable accommodation, so the homeless are not simply warehoused in
shelters on a temporary basis.

This all takes a lot of money and time. And in a world that loves cheap,
fast fixes, the real long-term solution is a bitter pill.