St. John's man living in shed after booted out of housing

A St. John's man says he slipped through the social assistance cracks after he was tossed out of public housing and wound up living in a backyard shed.

Eddie Somerton said he's been homeless since before Christmas.

"I'm homeless after this December 16 — housing just kicked me out. I was there [going] on five years," he said.

On Friday, Somerton told CBC News he didn't understand the reason why Newfoundland and Labrador Housing kicked him out of the home he was living in.

"I don't know why they kicked me out. I'm homeless for three months, walking the streets."

Somerton has been sleeping in an unheated shed, making a bed out of two lawn chairs and a stool.

According to Somerton, welfare cut him off because he has no fixed address, so he also has no money.

When he spoke to CBC News, he was still wearing a hospital bracelet from his last visit to the emergency room.

Somerton said he has seizures and high blood pressure, and the doctor told him he needs to take it easy. But that is a difficult task for someone who doesn't have heat in a St. John's winter.

"I gotta take it easy and I can't. And I can't even see my daughter — I can't take her here," he said.

Somerton said something needs to change before things go from bad, to worse.

"I can't live like this. This is crazy and it's cold," said Somerton. "I'll freeze to death out here."

Late on Friday afternoon, Somerton said he met with someone at NL Housing. They set up another meeting for Tuesday to help find him a new place to live by next week.