Essay about Reasons to help reduce homelessness in Canada

Homelessness is a condition of people who lack regular access to adequate housing. As this condition becomes a growing problem in Canada people are forced to deal with the issues. Who are the homeless? They range from children to adults and even in some cases, families. Why are they homeless? Poverty, lack of jobs or well paying jobs, decline in Social Services, domestic violence, mental illness, and chemical dependency contribute to the majority of the homeless within our society. What effects does being homeless have on members of the family? It contributes to many physical and mental health problems for both parents and their children. Homelessness is a world-wide issue, yet zeroing in on Canada, the majority of the homeless live on the

All around the world anyone can find people that are addicted to some form of drug. Drug addiction is a huge issue that has been occurring for about thirty years now and is occurring to this day for many reasons. Some of those reasons may be that something is going on back home and they have had enough, or because of stress, peer pressure, biological reasons and the list goes on. However, there has been law enforcement due to drugs since the mid 1980’s. People have many viewpoints to when it comes to drug use and addiction. There are three perspectives people have that view the use of drugs and drug addiction which are structural functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interactionist.

Today in Canada, a rise in youth homelessness is being observed across the country. Despite common assumptions, the issue of street youth is not isolated to Toronto or Montreal, but has become pervasive across the country. Although accurate statistics are impossible to come by, the disturbing reality is that both urban centers and rural communities nationwide, are struggling to provide their youth with adequate, affordable housing. Issues surrounding the supply and affordability of housing, combined with personal circumstances characterized by instability, are distancing youth’s access to housing. These causes and their overall consequences, must be faced before lasting solutions can be shaped by society. Housing Canada’s street youth will

One of the simplest pieces of knowledge we acquire in elementary school (for future growth and development) are the three basic needs a living organism requires for living: food, water, and shelter. However, not everyone has access to all of these essentials. Homeless people are faced with awful conditions and suffer more due to poor weather conditions, diseases, and lack of safety. There hasn’t been much progress on this issue, and if this continues, the number of homeless people will only increase. In a few states the topic is being named as a “statewide emergency”, but unfortunately this problem is national. Instead of focusing on state programs, local programs and non-profit organizations to fix the housing issue, we must all contribute to ending this epidemic. The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) released an article stating, “In January 2015, 564,708 people were homeless on a given night in the United States” (Snapshot of Homelessness). We must develop a solution to end long term homelessness immediately. The best way of solving this issue is to provide stable long-term housing, which is a term used to describe the home’s environment and financial status.

We need to ask our selves what causes homelessness, why are so many youth involved with homelessness and what can we change so that the homelessness problem in Canada lessens? Many people put the issue of homelessness aside because there are many programs that people can go to so that they can get help but not all people have the capability to push themselves to turn

“Homeless is more than being without a home. It is tied into education needs, food, security; health issues both mental and physical, employment issues, etc. Don’t forget the whole picture.” (“Boxed In” 2005 pg. 108)

Homelessness can simply be defined as the lack of house or shelter. Hulchanski (n.d.) believes that homelessness is “a great unresolved political and social problem of our time.” He defines homelessness as:

The cost of drug addiction is very high. At the individual level, addicts are losing their lives and talented people are being wasted because of drugs like alcohol, heroin and painkillers. On the world stage, addiction issues are causing government officials to battle crime and poverty in far too many communities. At the end of the day, addiction seems to touch everyone's life

According to a 2007 public opinion poll “ 80% of Canadians believed that homelessness and poverty are important concerns in Canada, while 46% felt that the government assistance programs were doing little” (Cassola, 2006). Homelessness is a street culture of violence, suffering, addiction, and dehumanization (Masters, 2006). These individuals are constantly ill and do not receive the essential health services and rehabilitation they require (Hwang,

We have experienced many homelessness issues here in Canada. Recently, in 2014, the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness estimated that almost 35,000 Canadians were homeless every night and an estimated 235,000 Canadians experience homelessness each year. Many Canadians meet the requirements for hidden homelessness. The requirements include: sheltered people and families who temporarily live in their relative’s homes in order to avoid living on streets; women and children experiencing domestic violence; people sleeping in abandoned buildings and families living in unsustainable housing due to evacuations. Unfortunately, here in Ontario, we have one of the highest rates of homelessness for a major province in Canada.

21.9% of renter households spend more than 50% of their income on shelter putting them at serious risk of homelessness. (http://www.wesley.ca/cmfiles/Onanygivennight.pdf). As Gaetz, Donaldson, Richter, & Gulliver (2013) reveal the fact in their report ‘The State of Homelessness in Canada 2013’ that approximately 30,000 individuals are counted as homelessness every night. Among them, around 3,000 individuals are found totally unsheltered and spend each night outside on the street, in parks or in an open place without even any shade overhead. Oudshoorn , Ward-Griffin & Berman (2013) say that whenever people are exposed to homelessness for any of the factors, they try to look for service agencies. Naturally, these 10% of total unsheltered homelessness are the result of government’s inappropriate policy to reach them as rest other are somehow managed by different

Political leaders in US, Canada, policy-makers and Researchers are in agreement with “Housing First intervention as a solution to homelessness.” Therefore, addressing the homeless individual with housing and mental health challenges, primary care, psychiatry, and case-coordination. In addition, conversations” ultimate to goal to end homelessness in Canada.”

When strolling down the streets of Toronto, it is evident that the path an individual is walking through may lead them to the homeless. Faces of Toronto’s youth, whom usually share the common past of broken homes with addict parents or mental health issues, call the streets their home every night. Poverty, of course, plays a significant role in why such a significant amount of youth in Toronto end up homeless. It stuns me most , however, that a plethora of citizens become homeless because they are running from something or someone. Numerous stories about the homeless in Toronto stem from them being excommunicated from homes or communities based on who they are, or if they identify themselves as something other than the mainstream.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (Henry et al., 2016), over 500,000 people were homeless in the United States on one given night in January 2016. The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness reported that 35,000 people were homeless in Canada around the same time and that at least 235,000 Canadians experience homelessness at some point in a year (Gaetz et al., 2016).

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (2016), in January 2015 there were approximately 564,708 individuals living in emergency shelters or outdoors. With the baby boomer population aging, the rate of homelessness among this population has also increased.