People First Radio – June 11, 2026People First Radio – June 11, 2026
People First Radio
The episode examines how boredom shapes the lives of people experiencing homelessness, especially in relation to substance use, and shares arguments for more meaningful activity and sober supportive housing. Research, lived experience, and political perspectives are brought together to question how housing and services can better support recovery.
0:00•12 Jun 2026
Boredom, Homelessness, and Sober Housing: Why Empty Time Matters
Episode Overview
- Boredom is described as a pervasive, daily experience for people who are unhoused and is strongly linked to increased substance use.
- Homelessness, boredom, and substance use can form a self-reinforcing cycle that makes it harder to secure and maintain housing.
- Shelter and housing environments that feel restrictive and devoid of meaningful activity may push people further towards substances.
- Service users often know which meaningful activities and supports they need, but these are frequently absent or inaccessible.
- Sober or dry supportive housing, paired with appropriate medical supports and community connections, is presented as a crucial option for people exiting treatment.
“To be unhoused is to be bored in all intents and purposes.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This episode of People First Radio shines a light on the often-overlooked role of boredom in homelessness and substance use, and how housing models can help or hinder recovery. Health promotion researcher and frontline worker Corey Herzog-Fiquette shares his work on boredom among people experiencing homelessness, drawing from both academic research and years on the ground.
He explains how shelters can feel "very prison-like," how "to be unhoused is to be bored in all intents and purposes," and why substances can become the cheapest and most accessible way to fill long, empty days. Corey lays out a troubling cycle: homelessness fuels boredom, boredom fuels substance use, and substance use then makes it harder to keep appointments, secure housing, or stay housed.
He also pushes for structural change: better income supports, reduced-cost recreation, meaningful daily activities, and true "meet people where they're at" programming designed with service users, not just for them. The second half shifts to Nanaimo, where the focus turns to sober supportive housing. Addiction medicine doctor Roger Walmsley calls one proposed "dry" housing project a "bubble of hope," stressing the need for careful screening, realistic expectations around relapse, and strong links to wider community supports. Personal stories hit hardest.
Formerly unhoused resident Charles Myers-Coff describes trying to stay sober in housing where alcohol and drugs were everywhere, saying he survived by spending as little time there as possible. Parent and former social worker Wanda Leblanc talks about fighting to get her son off the streets and into treatment, only to see him sent back into a substance-saturated environment.
BC cabinet minister Sheila Malcolmson then explains why she backs a sober-oriented housing option as one part of a broader housing and recovery system. If boredom, homelessness, and substance use are so tightly linked, what could it look like to build housing and services that actually give people something meaningful to wake up for?
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