Homelessness in Canada Essay - 882 Words

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†¦show more content†¦The majority of homeless children and females are victims of domestic violence (NCH, 1998). It is estimated that there are 200 000 homeless people who live on the streets of Canada (Globe and Mail, 1998) and an 80 000 more in risk of becoming homeless (National Post, 1998). Of these people between 30% and 35% are people with severe mental illnesses (National Post, 1998). On any given night, 45% of the 4 200 people filling Torontos homeless shelters are families with children (Toronto Star, 1998). An increasing number of the homeless are teenagers of which many are runaways who have been kicked out or felt they had no choice but to leave (Michaud, Margaret, 1988). It is difficult to find out exactly what age categories the homeless fit into because the information is very limited. -3- WHY THEY ARE HOMELESS There is so many different causes of homelessness the largest being poverty (NCH, 1998). Poor people are frequently unable to pay for housing, food, health care and child care. It is hard to make choices when recourses are so limited. Unemployment is also a large contribution to the homeless society (NCH, 1998). Another factor contributing to homelessness is the decline in Social Services. Withi n the last few years, government has made it increasingly difficult for anyone to be approved to get assistance. There is also the factors of domestic violence which forces many out of their home, mental illness which enables the individuals to obtainShow MoreRelatedSolution Of Homelessness In Canada1102 Words   |  5 PagesCanadian 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). Although both the U.S. and Canada have made some effort toward reducing and ending homelessness, it clearly still remains a serious problem in both countries. While some communities, such as New Orleans and Bergen County in the U.S. and Medicine Hat in Canada, have made headlines forRead MoreHomelessness In Canada Essay1202 Words   |  5 Pageswhat homelessness means, it is someone who is not able to live in a stable residence because of financial or psychological problems, so they are forced to live on the streets or put themselves on the streets, because they feel it would be a better fit. Homelessness in Canada is a very large and concerning issue because of the growing population. 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 problemRead MoreEssay Homelessness in Canada1214 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout this paper I will be discussing the issue of homelessness and how it is steadily becoming a more serious problem as time progresses. I will discuss issues that surround homelessness such as the NIMBY, not in my backyard, issue and how it is causing the homeless to not receive the help that they need. This is an issue that needs to change, but due to NIMBYism, it is very difficult create such change. â€Å"One diverse population that has continued to increase over the quarter of a centuryRead MoreA SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS IN CANADA Essay1331 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Lee Tunstall, homelessness is a social problem that â€Å"has been growing since the 1970’s† (2009, para.1) and has caught the attention of both the Canadian government and the general public (Tunstall, 2009) . Predominantly, the homeless are individuals or families with no permanent  residence who also lack the resources or abilities necessary to arrange for their own adequate housing and living (Stearman, 2010). This matter affects a diverse demographic of the Canadian public. In 2003, theRead More The Rise in Youth Homelessness in Canada Essay1180 Words   |  5 PagesToday 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, combinedRead MoreEssay about Urban Homelessness in Canada2342 Words   |  10 Pages Definition of Homelessness Homelessness can simply be defined as the lack of house or shelter. Hulchanski (n.d.) believes that homelessness is â€Å"a great unresolved political and social problem of our time.† He defines homelessness as: The absence of a place to live (a house or apartment or room - the physical structure) - which includes the absence of belonging to a place and the people living there (a home, in the social/psychological sense). [It refers to] situations in which people lackRead MoreThe Homeless in Canada Essay examples2608 Words   |  11 Pagesnot just locally but throughout the country. There needs to be more funding available to build more gear to income or subsidized housing and all levels of government need to take action. Homelessness has different meanings to different people; someone who has never been homeless might think homelessness is a person who lives on the street, in a tent or in a box. Many people don’t realize that there are a number of homeless people, who couch surf with friends, family or the ones who live in motelsRead MoreEssay about Reasons to help reduce homelessness in Canada935 Words   |  4 PagesReasons to help reduce homelessness in Canada 200,000; That is the amount of Canadians who become homeless every year. The truth might be shocking, but homelessness is an ongoing crisis. The inhumane environment outside makes people angry and aggressive towards other people. As unfortunate as this occurring problem is, according to the human rights act, it is a citizens job to be respected, trusted Canadian citizens and help solve the problem rather than witnessing it from afar. As humanity continuesRead MoreThe Issue Of Homelessness Is Not A New Issue1432 Words   |  6 PagesThe issue of homelessness in remains an issue that is rarely acknowledged or discussed. Governments all around the world boast of all the work they are doing for their country, bringing up GDP, employment rate and promising even more. However, when the issue of homelessness is brought up, governments shy away, pretending that it is barely an issue in the country. Unfortunately, Canada is one of those countries. A study done in 2014 on the issue of homele ssness in Canada found that approximately â€Å"235Read MoreHomelessness : The Current Social Welfare Issue1339 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Welfare Issue: Homelessness Written by: Laura Westra The current social welfare issue that I chose to explore is homelessness within Canada. First, this essay will give a brief description of homelessness. Secondly, it will describe how homelessness relates to some concepts and theories that we learned in this course Introduction to Social Welfare, it will also look at what may have happened to people facing homelessness one hundred years ago, next we will explore a possible solution to this