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Homelessness
November 2, 2014 - 1:45am
The State of Homelessness in Canada 2014 stated the following today: "The one missing piece of the puzzle, however, is affordable housing. The decline in availability of low cost housing (and in particular, rental housing) affects many Canadians – young people setting out on their own, single parents, people working for low wages and the elderly. It also contributes to the homelessness problem in a significant way." -See more at: http://www.homelesshub.ca/SOHC2014#sthash.1sVPPHYw.dpuf
Most people seem aware of annual reports which state that one-third of Americans are one or two paychecks away from homelessness, that many people could not meet even one mortgage payment if they suddenly lost their job. In 2011, a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research ("Financially Fragile Households"), stated that half of Americans couldn't raise $2,000 in thirty days. A quarter couldn't raise this amount at all and another 19% would have to pawn or sell possessions to do so. This is US data but I would imagine that Canadian figures are similar. In other words, many, if not most, of us are in a pretty precarious position and not far removed ourselves from homelessness. It is easy to imagine life circumstances which might push one into such a state: loss of job or sliding into part-time employment, illness and medical costs, age or lack of family support, etc. And this is without taking into account mental illness or inability to take part in our 'knowledge-based economy' for reasons of cognitive ability, training & education, etc., substance abuse and addiction- and so on.
It is in this context that I think of the Harperites' dismantling of social programs and supports over the past eight years; supports that have been built over many decades, supports which are not adequately replaced by traditional pillars of Canadian society such as family, church and public institutions. For example, while we had 1.3 million Canadians without work in 2013, the Conservatives tightened criteria for EI such that only 37% of jobless applicants were eligible. Add to this a whole host of omnibus budget implications for environmental protections, equal pay rules for women and others working for the federal government, a crackdown on charities & environmental groups, etc., etc. According to a Toronto Star story, Ottawa will have reduced expenditures by $13.6 Billion between 2010 and 2017. And now, what to do with the 'surplus'?
Back to my topic of homelessness. In the Comox Valley, we may have some vague question on Nov. 15 about paying an extra tax amount to combat homelessness. It's unlikely that this question will include information about a plan or strategy - and we remember the debacle about the property purchased by Courtenay for such a purpose - subsequently sold at a loss due to NIMBY-ism. We also have the spectacle of Vancouver's spectacular non-success to make any inroads whatsoever - despite best intentions.
Which brings me to my quandary. Is this issue even solvable? Is it so complex in terms of cooperation among different levels of government that it's just not do-able? Is the issue so bound up by political stance, personal philosophy or attitude-set about personal responsibility,
and just plain ignorance about the issue that we are doomed to forever have homelessness - like food banks - among us? Have we progressed at all since biblical days and the quote from Matthew 26: "The poor you will always have with you."?
I appreciate you posting on this topic. You bring up a lot of issues. The first line of article states:
So, although I agree with you about the 'Harperites', I also think that the Mulroneyites, Chretianites, and Martinites have all failed to invest in affordable housing.
Canada has paid out trillions of dollars in unnecessary interest payments over the past 40 years. I think that money might be put to better use. Affordable housing is a good start.
The National Bureau of Economic Research report:
Financially Fragile Households (2011) (nber.org)
I believe that affordable housing is a Federal and Provincial responsibility as this is an issue across Canada. People are in need of shelter and homes. Some cities and municipalities are responding in different ways.
The Comox Valley Election Question (comoxvalleyrd.ca)
Burnaby, Surrey Shirk Responsibility to Help the Homeless (thetyee.ca)
Burnaby Mayor: Cities Can't Solve Homelessness Alone (thetyee.ca)
I agree with you that maybe a plan/strategy would be helpful. It would be sensible to use the money to provide affordable housing. This easy for me to write, but much more difficult to carry out. What would you propose?
Yes. In the 1970s, I don't remember so many Canadians in need of shelter. Homelessness didn't seem so overwhelming like it might today. There was affordable housing made available by government. You mentioned equal pay for women and others which is a human right. I also believe it is a human right to have equal access to basic necessities like housing.
No. Less talk, more housing. Simple.
Yes. Canada is by far one of the richest countries in the world. We need to share and help each other.
The other factor in this equation is a spectacular, speculative increase in mortage and rent costs since the 1970s, many times wage increases (to say nothing of unemployment insurance, welfare, etc). I know that Montréal rents might seem a pittance, but they are many, many times what they were back then. I once moved into an old but charming flat (and not in terrible shape, or in a "dodgy" neighbourhood) where I paid all of $60 a month.
Employment has also become far more precarious, and only a minority of workers (even not including the involuntarily "self-employed" such as myself) qualify for what has become renamed "employment insurance".
1993 I was living in a one bedroom and paying $285 a month. 2000 I was living in another one bedroom in the same neighbourhood for $460 and now $635.
My first appartment was in Verdun a 3 1/2 $165/m .
The cost of rent has been really out of control since the 90's and the continued erosion of tenant's rights ( La Régie has lost all relevence)
Every time I turn around there's a new condo project being constructed.
How can one make ends meet earning minimum wage , nevermind a welfare (I hate that word) cheque?
It's ridiculous. The PQ had at least committed to building more social housing in their last budget,you can bet the Liberals have since slashed that (immediately).
Yes, the only provincial party that is committed to social housing is Québec solidaire, and we have all of three MNAs. A Péladeau PQ certainly won't promote it, and that shit is still the front runner.
On one of the Trudeau threads, I posted a link to a story and picture of housing associations here protesting in the streets and outside Trudeau's riding office against the lack of a commitment to social housing on Justin's part and that of his party. His riding is one of the poorest urban ridings in Canada, and there is very little social housing in Parc-Extension, the poorest part of it.
I hate the term "welfare" too; but the actual term in Québec is "Social Solidarity" which is utterly Orwellian. But it is also a hateful system, based on the belief that if you give jobless people enough to actually properly feed, clothe and house themselves, they'll just sit around and watch the telly all day. In truth, people swarm to apply for jobs when something like a new supermarket opens.
The only major difference in terms of Canadians and US-Americans falling into indigence is what remains of our public health system.
1 Bedroom in Toronti/GTA will set you back $800-1000/month.
And it will neither be nice or in a great neighbourhood overall
I hear that the number of people on waiting list for affordable housing in Metro Toronto is close to 90 thousand. That probably doesnt account for people waiting for transitional housing. Alot of rental units have been turned into hotels
A lot of hotels have turned into rental units
Bacchus, where?
I know that in Paris, this was a serious problem, as poor immigrant families cooked in spaces with no safe cooking facilities (which would not have been very difficult to install).
In Scarborough mostly and in Etobicoke (east and west suburbs of Toronto , respectively)
Immigrants, refugees, welfare recipients, disability recipients etc
COPE details Vancouver housing authority proposal (straight.com)
Total number of homeless in Vancouver remains steady at 1,600 *quoted article
Oppenheimer homeless camp evictions end with five people arrested (oct 17)
Oppenheimer Park drama ends with a bit of a fizzle, saving oodles of money (oct 17)
Oppenheimer vacated peacefully but homeless say they have nowhere to go (oct 16)
Tim Louis: Homelessness and affordable housing—false promises from Vision Vancouver (oct 3)
Rising Tide: Standing in solidarity with Oppenheimer Park tent city residents (sep 25)
The story of this old Christian man has made world headlines.
90 year-old man arrested for feeding homeless people.
There is an increasing number of US cities which have similar by-laws or ordinances.
They'd sure have arrested that Jesus guy with his loaves and fishes.
You should read babble policy. Then you should pack your bags and leave.
+1
Don't feed the trolls.
Indeed. And I've definitely seen - and known - homeless immigrants.
There are also a HELL of a lot of "badly-housed" immigrants and refugees, living in extremely crowded dwellings, sleeping in shifts.
80% of the individuals who end up in Toronto's shelters leave within 4 months but 20%, the long term homeless population, end up warehoused for years.
Most of these people are born in Canada and have been in Toronto for over 10 years. Most worked at some point in their lives. The overwhelming majority are people who live with eposodically sever cognitve and perceptual impairment, commonly from layers of disabilities that include, but are not limited to, mental health disabilities, cognitive impairments including Acquire brain injuries (ABI), fetal alcohol impairments, and addictions. These individual need support to stay housed.
and yes T is a troll who should be barred from posting
Havn't read the whole thread, so I may be repeating a point here, but newcomers to Canada tend to be what my agency calls precariously housed. that could simply involve a lot of couch surfing in quite crowded conditions within their own communities.
Just last Friday I was at a presentation where a pretty authorative study by CAMH and the Wellesly Institute demonstrating that Immigrant and racialized groups are not accessing mental health services at a rate consistent with their need, and the discussion was what systemic factors are preventing them from getting services. This may very well apply to the shelter system, and programmes which can assist in housing.
the shelters only accept people who are totally without housing. Most very poor immigrants in Toronto live in very bad houing or sofa surf but they do not sleep outside
Yeah, I tend to see this sort of thing through a mental health issues lens. As you are probably aware there's a consortium of agencies which offer not too bad subsidised housing for qualifying people with mental health issues along with ongoing support. I don't know if there are ethno cultural systemic barriers to accessing this. (well, there probably are)
I sometimes work in both Scarborough and Rexdale. There are very few mental health services in Rexdale but Scarborough has less. Notwithstanding the proportion of accused persons with no fixed address are dramatically lower in these Courts in both communities when compared to the downtown Courts.
I believe this represents a difference in population. In Toronto Downtorwn courts most accused with NFA are canadian born men who are over 40 years old.
this parelles the demographic characteristics of the majority of long term shelter users.
this tread is about homelessness, not substandard expensive housing. Housing is always about money but for many long term homeless individuals the lack of social work support to stay housed is at least equally crucial.
I see a lot of homelessness every day. The numbers can clearly be seen. The population grows with each year.
Investing in mental health is a start but a guaranteed income and more social housing would take care of almost all of it.
About services in Scarborough, there's always me
BTW, thanks for the flag, he be banned.
I just PM'd you as you were posting this, asking you basically the same thing.
We have a court support programme at East Metro Detention as you're probably aware, as well as West Metro. They're of course totally overloaded. I don't have much to do with the service intake end, but if you're looking for services you're of course always welcome to contact me, and if I don't know I will probably know someone who does. You'll probably know better what court based services there are downtown. Outside of court 222 and the addictions specialised court at city hall, not much I think.