More Than Four Walls: Unmasking Mental Health in Housing First

May 8, 2025

For individuals seeking housing after a period of chronic homelessness, hiding their mental health struggles can be just part of their survival, but when support replaces stigma, healing begins

BY PRABHNEET BHANDAL

Housed in a Mask

Home. What does this word mean to you? For most, the word refers to a safe place where one can be their true self. A place where they can go to at the end of the day, and feel they can recharge from everything happening outside of their four walls. For individuals living with mental health challenges, home can also be where survival depends on performance.

While the discussion of mental health awareness has gained traction over the years, many individuals continue to live in a reality where the need to hide their true emotional and psychological experiences persists. In housing environments, a stigma remains, and support can be conditional. Many tenants are forced to wear emotional and behavioural “masks” to disguise their mental health struggles.

What is Masking?

Masking is a common act that involves suppressing one’s emotions, mimicking socially acceptable behaviours, and presenting a demeanor of wellness to fit into societal norms. While masking can be used as a temporary coping mechanism, chronic masking often leads to deeper psychological distress, burnout, and a loss of identity.

To help spread knowledge about the importance of unmasking mental health in the housing field, I had the pleasure of speaking with one of CMHA Ottawa’s Housing Outreach Workers, Mik Phipps, and a client of his, Zach.

When asked if he felt if there was a need to mask his mental health to receive or to maintain housing, Zach shared that in his experience, yes, he has had to. “The consequence of disclosing such information leads to the stigma being encouraged by most people… If you want to rent, and you tell someone, ‘Yeah, I struggle with mental health,’ they aren’t going to rent.”

This puts those who are facing mental challenges while searching for housing in a difficult position. Having to juggle multiple identities to try and appease the individual who evaluates where or not you can have a safe place to unmask can be extremely taxing.

What Can Masking Look Like?

With more than 10 years of experience working in the mental health field, Mik has witnessed the weight of masking firsthand: “Masking is complex and rarely talked about directly,” he explains. “We all adjust our behaviour based on how we feel, who we’re with, and what we’re doing. But for many of my clients, masking looks like shrinking themselves out of fear: fear of being seen, judged, or even evicted.” Whether it’s avoiding common areas or delaying returning home until they feel “presentable”, clients often alter their behaviour to maintain a sense of safety in spaces that can feel threatening.

“Clients worry about not being seen as credible or about being perceived as dangerous… or broken,” Mik says. “Some just want to preserve their privacy. Others have experienced violence or rejection after being open about their mental health.”

Unmasking is not just a personal choice — it’s a political one, made harder by systemic injustice. “People with visible signs of mental illness are often watched more closely,” Mik explains. “I’ve worked with clients who preferred sleeping outside over going home just to avoid being harassed. One even got noise complaints while their unit was empty.” When landlords respond to neighbours’ discomfort over someone’s appearance or behaviour, they reinforce the idea that the visibility of mental health challenged equates to liability.

Taking Off The Mask

On the other hand, Mik has also seen what’s possible when unmasking is allowed — and, more importantly, when it’s met with safety. “People are incredibly good at building community when given the chance. Once clients feel they won’t be punished for being themselves, they open up. They start exchanging meals, walking dogs together, sharing their stories.” These relationships don’t just soften daily life, they help dismantle internalized shame. “Some of the strongest relationships I’ve seen began with shared stories of resilience in the face of stigma,” Mik says.

Zach shares a similar testament when recalling his time being homeless. He states that he wishes people would be able to look past the external appearance, and get to know the individual, their experiences, and their potential. “I’ve met a lot of good people when I was homeless… [the public] bat away when they see them… they look dirty, and they’re probably high, but once you actually get to know them, personally, and you get to hear their stories, and how they got there… you can see that they are a good person.”

“Unmasking isn’t about reckless exposure,” Mik says. It’s about making the courageous decision to shed the layers that no longer serve you. Masking provides protection, but it’s also exhausting.”

“It requires emotional suppression and constant alertness,” he continues. “Letting go of that burden — even a little — can be freeing.” Clients who unmask often find themselves more open to support, to connection, and being truly seen. Mik describes hearing phrases like “I’m not like them,” early in relationships with clients — a signal that stigma still has a tight grip. But as trust is built, those same clients start embracing their identities and finding strength in shared humanity.

“CMHA Ottawa has a CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) group, I’ve been learning all kinds of important skills there,” Zach says. He, an individual who suffers from severe depression and anxiety, stated that for him, leaving his safe space can be difficult, however while attending group sessions, he continues to practice exposure therapy, and connects with other clients attending the group.

Being a Support

Mik focuses on creating a foundation of safety. “I make it clear that I work with people regardless of their symptoms or how they cope. We talk about masking as something people do to survive, but not something they have to carry forever.” By normalizing the conversation, they help clients understand that masking is a skill, but one that can become a trap if it’s never set down. “Empowering clients to make choices based on comfort, not fear, is key. When masking is no longer mandatory, it can become optional — a tool used wisely, not worn constantly.”

Mik doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations. “I name discrimination when I see it. I help clients prepare for it. I speak to landlords openly about my role and try to model respectful, humanizing relationships.” Whether it’s greeting neighbours during visits or asking clients how they feel in shared spaces, these actions challenge the idea that people must remain invisible to stay housed. “Our work is about helping people move through the world with as little masking as possible — not because they’re forced to hide, but because they finally feel safe enough to be seen.”

That safety can spark transformation. Mik recalls one client who, after moving into housing, struggled with outbursts and tension with a neighbour. The conflict escalated to an eviction notice. “We brought everyone together — the client, the neighbour, the landlord. What came out was unexpected: both the client and neighbour had histories of homelessness and mental illness. They bonded over their love of cats and stuffed animals. They built empathy, set boundaries, and chose to coexist with care.” What began as a clash ended in community — because both parties unmasked and were met with understanding.

Unmasking isn’t easy, especially in systems that punish difference. But as Mik’s work helps to show, it is also a beginning — a door to authenticity, connection, and healing. It’s not about abandoning caution; it’s about reclaiming the right to be human in spaces that too often ask for performance instead of truth. In housing, where the stakes are high, the ability to unmask might just be the foundation for not only surviving — but finally feeling at home. ⬛

Thank you to Mik and Zach, your time is truly appreciated.

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About CMHA Ottawa: The Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch (CMHA Ottawa), is an independent, community-based non-profit organization that provides services for eligible individuals in the Ottawa area with severe and persistent mental illness and/or substance use disorder, many of whom are experiencing chronic homelessness or are vulnerably housed. CMHA Ottawa is dedicated to promoting good mental health, developing and implementing sustainable support systems and services, and encouraging public action to strengthen community mental health services and related policies and legislation.