Visitors to This Open House in Canada Found an Elaborately Staged and Disturbing PSA

Seeing poverty with The Salvation Army

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It was advertised like an ordinary real-estate open house, at a residence that looked fine on the outside. But when visitors came for a look inside, they got an eerie surprise—a glimpse at how people can be living in poverty even when they have a roof over their heads.

The Salvation Army and Grey Canada were behind the "Open House" stunt, which has a robust online presence, where you can tour the house yourself. The home is representative of a family living in poverty, and contains plaques and visual displays highlighting the struggles of the more than 300,000 Canadians who live under the poverty line.

The campaign includes the long-format video below, which features hidden-camera footage of real people walking through the house.

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