Unit 2 Vulnerable Populations: Homelessness in Canada

16/11/2018

What is being done to reduce Homelessness in Canada?

I was shocked to see the number of homeless people during a recent trip to San Francisco, and the impact they had on the city. There was panhandling on many downtown street corners, and aggressive homeless people coming into restaurants asking for food. There didn't appear to be many areas without someone homeless close by, I could hear vendors complaining and homeless people crying out for help. At that time, I noticed the lack of sympathy and patience, and since I have been researching vulnerable populations, it compelled me to investigate the concerns in Canada and my own province. Locally, I can see we do have a homeless population concern. I see it in many areas of Kamloops, some people hold up signs asking for money and food, others huddle together outside shopping areas. According to The Canadian Press (2016), the statistics regarding homeless people in Canada are alarming. They wrote that:

Approximately 235,000 people are homeless in Canada every year;
Approximately 35,000 people are homeless nightly in Canada;
Approximately 150,000 people access homeless/emergency shelters in Canada every year;
Approximately 50,000 people are 'hidden homeless', those who rely on family or friends for shelter and don't have their own home;
Approximately 4 million beds are filled in Canada every year;
Annual cost of 105.3 million is spent by the federal government annually for the Homeless Partnering Strategy to reduce and prevent homelessness.

Poverty is tightly linked to homelessness. The Government of BC have worked with several agencies and communities to tackle poverty and homelessness. "BETWEEN OCTOBER 30, 2017, AND MARCH 31, 2018, the B.C. government conducted a comprehensive public engagement process to ask British Colombians' how, as a province, we can tackle poverty and inequality (Government of BC, 2018). Many factors contribute to homelessness; therefore, it takes a multifaceted plan to deal with the issue. The plan has included the supplementation of income and disability payments, providing education and training for jobs, getting past the stigma of discrimination, providing fair treatment for all those in need, providing affordable housing, and access to affordable food and medical care (Government of BC, 2018, pp.19-40).

The BC Government recently announced the commitment of 4900 mixed-income units in various BC communities to assist in getting seniors and lower income people into affordable housing, through the Community Housing Fund.

"Through the Community Housing Fund, we are building housing so that growing families, aging seniors and low- to moderate-income individuals can afford homes in the communities they live and work in," said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. "These new homes will have life-changing impacts for people and communities right across the province" (Government of BC, BC Housing, 2018).

Click on the video link from The Tyee Newspaper and see how Australia is keeping people off the street (The Tyee, 2017). It's important to see how other cities and countries are dealing with similar challenges. To best serve the homeless population, shared successes and failures of programs to reduce homelessness can save time on developing and implementing strategies.

https://vimeo.com/208349340

In conclusion, there are many factors that create homelessness for people, therefore making a generalized statement about someone's situation is nonsensical. The provincial government of British Columbia is working to reduce the number of people on the street and prevent homelessness. Being able to recognize that many people don't chose homelessness will hopefully make people more understanding and compassionate.

References

CTV News. (2016, March 16). Homelessness in Canada: Key statistics [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/homelessness-in-canada-key-statistics-1.2819986

Global News Morning BC. (2018, March 15). 2018 Vancouver homeless count expected to surpass last year | Watch News Videos Online. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/video/4085861/2018-vancouver-homeless-count-expected-to-surpass-last-year

Government of BC. BC Poverty Reduction. (n.d.). Provide your stories, ideas and input. Retrieved from https://engage.gov.bc.ca/bcpovertyreduction/

Government of BC. (2018). What We Heard About Poverty in BC. Retrieved from https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/242/2018/07/WWH_Report-PovertyReductionStrategy_FINAL.pdf

Government of BC. BC Housing. (2018, November 13). 4,900 new affordable rental homes on the way for B.C. families. Retrieved from https://www.bchousing.org/news?newsId=1479152795034

Kamloops This Week. (2018, November 13). More affordable housing for Kamloops seniors and families. Kamloops This Week [Kamloops]. Retrieved from https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/news/more-affordable-housing-for-kamloops-seniors-and-families-1.23496789

Kerr, J. (2018, March 26). BC announces provincial homeless counts. Vancouver Courier[Vancouver]. Retrieved from https://www.vancourier.com/news/b-c-announces-provincial-homeless-counts-1.23213451

Seccia, S. Megaphone Magazine, S. (2017, March 13). To End Homelessness, Prevent It from Happening in the First Place | The Tyee Early diagnosis, access to multiple supports keep people off the street [Video file]. Retrieved from https://thetyee.ca/News/2017/03/13/End-Homelessness/