Understanding Homelessness
In Canada, homelessness has a thousand faces. The reasons people are homeless in our country are many and varied. Many of the homeless have become disconnected from their families and communities. There are also those who have not been able to find or keep jobs. Sometimes, ongoing changes in the labour market make it difficult to maintain sufficient incomes for rent payments.
A broad base of understanding is required to create and build programs and services that will work towards providing support for each and every person who faces homelessness.
Homelessness can affect people of any age, gender or ethnic background. It does not discriminate.
Reviewing the Numbers
Homelessness is a visible problem in Canada. However, there are currently no reliable national statistics on the number of homeless individuals because of the methodological challenges surrounding counts of this population. Continued effort is needed to develop effective ways to gather this information.
The very nature of homelessness means that counting the people affected is difficult. Homelessness seems to have increased in visibility in urban centres, but no one is sure how many people live on the streets or in substandard shelter. The homeless population has no fixed address, is mobile and in many cases, hidden. The face of homelessness changes from community to community.
In order to reduce and prevent homelessness, we need to better understand the situation, the underlying causes and the supports needed. Communities are coming together to do just this and find ways to help.
Understanding the Needs
A whole progression of support steps may be needed to help a person who is homeless. It may start with making appropriate supportive services available to people in difficulty, whether on the street or in risky housing situations. It may be necessary to provide accommodation and assistance in emergency shelters. The goal is to provide homeless persons access to transitional housing, to permanent housing and independence.
In some circumstances, long term housing with continued support is needed. This progression could require continual support as every individual has different needs as they move from their vulnerable circumstances to more stable living conditions. This transition takes time and every individual will progress at a different pace depending on their own circumstances. Even once more permanent housing is achieved continued follow-up support could be required to prevent a return to homelessness.
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