Walking in Their Shoes: The Empathy Project Experience
A groundbreaking initiative in Ottawa is transforming how people understand the daily realities of homelessness through immersive simulations that reveal the systemic barriers facing vulnerable populations. The Empathy Project, created by the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, uses composite characters based on real experiences to demonstrate what navigating housing insecurity truly entails.
The program has already reached city councillors, frontline workers, and University of Ottawa medical students, providing crucial insights into the complex web of challenges that people experiencing homelessness face every day.
Carrie's Story: A Composite of Real Struggles
One of the six composite characters participants embody is Carrie, a 28-year-old woman whose story illustrates the interconnected crises that can lead to homelessness. Carrie has struggled with opioid use disorder and experienced periodic homelessness for years. Her situation became more urgent when she learned she was pregnant two years ago.
Determined to create better circumstances for her child, Carrie enrolled in a methadone program and worked diligently with Children's Aid Society, knowing her background in youth care would trigger their involvement. Her caseworker recognized significant progress, and for 18 months, Carrie maintained her recovery while caring for her daughter.
However, life circumstances intervened dramatically. The death of a close family member triggered a relapse, though Carrie immediately resumed her recovery journey. More recently, a violent argument with her 48-year-old partner—who still uses drugs and exhibits abusive behavior—resulted in him taking their daughter and leaving.
The police conducted a wellness check but explained they could do little without a formal custody arrangement, recommending Carrie seek legal assistance. Meanwhile, rent payment looms without financial resources, employment remains elusive, and her primary motivation—reuniting with her daughter—drives her through an increasingly complex system.
Bridging Understanding Gaps Through Experience
Earlier this month, approximately 60 participants gathered at the Canadian Mental Health Association offices in Vanier to experience The Empathy Project firsthand. Many represented organizations like the Shepherds, Cornerstone, and The Mission—groups already familiar with homelessness issues from their frontline work.
For one morning, these participants assumed characters like Carrie and navigated what Bruce Deachman described as "the overlapping (and often underlapping) housing, legal, child-welfare, health, shelter, employment and social services hoops" that real people must constantly navigate seeking help and relief.
The simulation's inclusion in uOttawa's first-year medical school curriculum represents a significant step toward educating future healthcare professionals about the social determinants of health. By understanding the systemic barriers that contribute to homelessness, these students may develop more compassionate and effective approaches to patient care.
As Ottawa faces record homelessness levels, initiatives like The Empathy Project provide crucial perspective shifts that could inform more effective policy solutions and community responses to this growing crisis.
