Six weeks ago the Town of Sidney voted against opening an emergency weather shelter at a local seniors independent living home.

Speakers at the public meeting voiced concerns about drug use, theft, and violence, but for the community’s unhoused, they say they just want a warm place to stay when winter hits.

April Lusha is currently calling her Jeep Liberty home.

“So it is really messy,” she said Tuesday.

She opens the back hatch and explains the contents of the vehicle.

“So I have like 10 inches of foam here to sleep on. I managed to get it for free,” she said. “I have tarps I use to keep up with the mold.”

“I was lucky and gifted, right behind here, you can’t really see it, but I have a porta potty so I can use the washroom in the night,” Lushaw said.

Homeless for more than a year,

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