We met Tish at the beginning of the chapter. They keep mostly to themselves and when approached can be aggressive and challenging. The police and social service workers in the area are familiar with their circumstances and have referred them to many local support agencies over the years. The lack of affordable or subsidized housing policies in the province have had direct effects on their living situation. Tish’s uncontrollable anti-social behaviour and the policies of various agencies have come into direct conflict many times leading to fewer and fewer available resources. They are currently in a desperate, chronic situation with few options. Their health is failing, their use of the Emergency room is high, and their physical and mental well-being is severely compromised.

However, to more fully understand Tish’s situation, we need to move beyond their individual situation and look at the systems challenges. Consider what we have learned from Dr. Hwang and Dr. Aubry- we don’t need to fix people; we need to fix situations.