We need to address contributing factors to homelessness, including mental illness, addictions and poverty
Tonight, an increasing number of Canadians face the prospect of sleeping in a tent – not to welcome the summer camping season but as a last resort. Unlike regulated campgrounds, tent cities are without electricity, water and often bathrooms. These makeshift encampments appear to be on the rise with Winnipeg and Nanaimo, B.C., being two…
The National Housing Strategy’s $40-billion investment is good news for Canada. But the devil is in the details
At last, Canada stands with other developed nations with its new National Housing Strategy (NHS). But while this historic step forward by the federal government represents what many activists have sought for decades, is it time to rejoice? Will the staggering $40 billion promised over 10 years amend nearly a quarter of a century of federal…
Homelessness costs Canadians big money without addressing the causes
For most of his life, Murray Barr was an ordinary American. Everything changed abruptly when his story of personal tragedy and period of homelessness created a media frenzy. Malcom Gladwell, in his article Million Dollar Murray, used Murray as an example of how homelessness was costing taxpayers in Reno, Nevada, around $1 million despite Murray not…
Building structures isn't enough. But by bringing together supports and housing, we can give homes to people who struggle with health and shelter needs
We’ve grown accustomed to seeing homeless people walk among us in countless North American cities. They’re often in the shadows, and often show visible signs of duress from addiction, mental illness or basic hopelessness. We've become desensitized to their experiences. Many cities in Europe and Australia share North America’s inability to address chronic homelessness through policy, programs…
Even where nutritious options are nearby, poverty prevents many Canadians from buying groceries or making better food choices
Canadian households are paying more for a nutritious basket of food and rising prices hit low-income households hardest – especially those receiving government assistance. Food Banks Canada estimates that just over 850,000 Canadians use a food bank on a monthly basis. The ability to afford food is increasingly problematic. Average prices run as high as…
The outcome of several legal decisions might just change the way we view homelessness
As humans, we need to sleep. Yet, on both sides of the border, "sleeping" can be considered a criminal act – especially if you are homeless and have no place to rest your head, other than in public spaces such as parks. How have cities and states been able to impose and enforce bylaws and…
Canadian governments need to be better prepared to tackle climate volatility
Just off a bustling urban street, in the heart of a middle class Canadian community, I came upon an elderly man wilting in the low lying shrubs, mere feet from heavy traffic and visibility. He appeared unconscious, perhaps brought on by the searing summer temperatures that had pushed the mercury above 30 degrees Celsius. Judging…