COMM19999: Homelessness in Canada: Causes, Effects & Solutions

This report examines the issue of homelessness in Canada, highlighting that approximately 200,000 Canadians experience homelessness annually. It identifies structural factors such as inadequate foster care and high housing costs, as well as individual circumstances like mental illness, domestic violence, and job loss as primary reasons for homelessness. The report further discusses the effects of homelessness, including unemployment, health issues, and negative impacts on the community through reduced social adaptability and increased involvement in illegal activities. To address this issue, the report outlines government initiatives like the Investment in Affordable Housing Initiative and policy improvements, including a plan to end Aboriginal homelessness, along with expert recommendations for setting targets, assessing specific needs, measuring data, and evaluating costs. The report references sources from Canada.ca, CBC, Ccsa.ca and Omssa.com.

Homelessness in Canada
Name of the Student
Name of the University

Introduction
• Average of 200,000 Canadians roughly involved in
homelessness in a year
• 20,000 people use emergency shelters
• 150,000 of Canadians used homeless shelter at any
point of time

Reason for Homelessness in Canada
• Structural factors
Children, who have received less foster care
High price of the estates
People from 25 to 49 years age group are more likely to opt for
shelter
• Individual circumstances
People with metal disorders and serious
mental illness
Peoplee with domestic violence, poverty
and family instability
Job loss during recession

Effect of homelessness in Canadian environment
Unemployment
• No money to pay home expense
• Suffers more from health issues
• Health problems furthermore created fewer chances to participate in
employment

Effect of homelessness in Canadian environment
Impact on community
• Less adaptability to collaborate or communicate with others
• Habits of involving in consuming alcohols
• Involvements in illegal activities like smugglings, terrorism and even
prostitutions

Effect of homelessness in Canadian environment
Impact on alcoholic nature of the individuals
• 96,000 drug offences cases were reported in Canada
• Formulation of unsafe environment
• Younger generation are more likely to involved with alcohol
consumption

Overcoming the homelessness
Government’s involvements
• Investment in Affordable Housing
Initiative (IAH)
• Affordable Housing for Seniors
• Affordable Rental Housing Innovation
Fund
• Community Homelessness Prevention
Initiative (CHPI)
• Rent Subsidies to needful people

Policy improvement
• Plan to End Aboriginal Homelessness program
• Cover all the homeless people other than only aboriginal
homeless
• Covering the major aspects like unemployment, loss of
housing, colonization and geographic displacement
Overcoming the homelessness

Advice from expert’s panel on homelessness
• Setting targets to end homelessness
• Assess the requirement of the type of homelessness like youth
homelessness, aboriginal homelessness and chronic homelessness
• Measuring the homelessness data and track the progress
• Evaluating the cost involved per homeless and take initiatives to
reduce the cost involvement by enhancing their conditions
Overcoming the homelessness

Reference
• Canada.ca. (2018). Employment and Social Development Canada -
Canada.ca. Retrieved 3 April 2018, from
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development.html
• CBC. (2018). 30,000 Canadians are homeless every night | CBC News.
Retrieved 3 April 2018, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/30-000-
canadians-are-homeless-every-night-1.1413016
• Ccsa.ca. (2018). Cannabis. Retrieved 3 April 2018, from
http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/CCSA-Canadian-Drug-Summary-
Cannabis-2017-en
• Omssa.com. (2018). The Real Cost of Homelessness. Retrieved 3 April
2018, from https://www.omssa.com/human-services/housing-
homelessness/hhrc/hhrc-resources/communications/advocacy/Homeless-
Hub-Real-cost-of-homelessness