30,000 Canadians are homeless every night
19 july 2013, cbc news
Issue Overview
Every year, there are many Canadians that are forced to experience homelessness, and the number has not decreased significantly since reported last year. The crisis is becoming quite grim as numbers illustrate. In fact, 30,000 Canadians are homeless on any given night and 200,00 experience homelessness in any given year. People are starting to shift their focus towards crisis management, promoting more permanent rather than temporary solutions. Many individuals who experience homelessness are young males, youth, and aboriginals. Many of these individuals are unsheltered and increasingly vulnerable due to violence.
Course Connections
People experiencing homelessness face violations of a wide range of human rights as they are not given access to safe and secure housing. A person who is homeless may be facing violations of the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to education, the right to liberty and security of the person, the right to privacy, the right to social security, the right to freedom from discrimination, the right to vote and many more. Many of these individuals are living in poverty and unable to escape their current situation without the help of NGOs and government aid. Additionally, many individuals who are homeless do not have access to proper healthcare and education, creating a cycle as they suffer from unemployment, lack of income, lack of education and malnutrition.
Every year, there are many Canadians that are forced to experience homelessness, and the number has not decreased significantly since reported last year. The crisis is becoming quite grim as numbers illustrate. In fact, 30,000 Canadians are homeless on any given night and 200,00 experience homelessness in any given year. People are starting to shift their focus towards crisis management, promoting more permanent rather than temporary solutions. Many individuals who experience homelessness are young males, youth, and aboriginals. Many of these individuals are unsheltered and increasingly vulnerable due to violence.
Course Connections
People experiencing homelessness face violations of a wide range of human rights as they are not given access to safe and secure housing. A person who is homeless may be facing violations of the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to education, the right to liberty and security of the person, the right to privacy, the right to social security, the right to freedom from discrimination, the right to vote and many more. Many of these individuals are living in poverty and unable to escape their current situation without the help of NGOs and government aid. Additionally, many individuals who are homeless do not have access to proper healthcare and education, creating a cycle as they suffer from unemployment, lack of income, lack of education and malnutrition.
Key Stakeholders
Homeless Individuals: Homeless individuals are the most severely impacted by homelessness as they experience mental trauma and difficulty, and they are denied access to their most basic human rights. Many live in fear of the lives of their families and themselves, and are hoping for a more permanent solution to the ongoing problem.
Canadian Government: The Canadian government is an important stakeholder because they have the most control in resolving the issue. They fund several organizations and services to provide and are currently looking for a more permanent solution to the problem.
Homeless Service Organizations: Homeless service organizations, like soup kitchens and homeless shelters are great aids for those experiencing homelessness. However, many of these organizations depend government funding in order to provide proper services for homeless individuals. However, the amount they receive is often, so they are requesting for more aid to keep their businesses running.
Homeless Individuals: Homeless individuals are the most severely impacted by homelessness as they experience mental trauma and difficulty, and they are denied access to their most basic human rights. Many live in fear of the lives of their families and themselves, and are hoping for a more permanent solution to the ongoing problem.
Canadian Government: The Canadian government is an important stakeholder because they have the most control in resolving the issue. They fund several organizations and services to provide and are currently looking for a more permanent solution to the problem.
Homeless Service Organizations: Homeless service organizations, like soup kitchens and homeless shelters are great aids for those experiencing homelessness. However, many of these organizations depend government funding in order to provide proper services for homeless individuals. However, the amount they receive is often, so they are requesting for more aid to keep their businesses running.
Contributing Factors
There are numerous causes of homelessness which vary from social to economic factors. People can be pushed into homelessness due to the loss of a job, mental illness, addictions, family violence or abuse, and discrimination. Discrimination can impede access to employment, justice, and other helpful services. Often, racial and sexual minorities are at greater risk of such discrimination. There are also system failures when systems of care and support fail, such as difficult transitions from child welfare, inadequate discharge planning for people leaving hospitals, and a lack of support for immigrants and refugees. Additionally, changes in the economy and the housing market are contributing to homelessness. The supply of affordable housing has not kept pace with the increasing population. Furthermore, there are declining incomes and a widespread reduction in social benefits for low-income Canadians, worsening the problem.
There are numerous causes of homelessness which vary from social to economic factors. People can be pushed into homelessness due to the loss of a job, mental illness, addictions, family violence or abuse, and discrimination. Discrimination can impede access to employment, justice, and other helpful services. Often, racial and sexual minorities are at greater risk of such discrimination. There are also system failures when systems of care and support fail, such as difficult transitions from child welfare, inadequate discharge planning for people leaving hospitals, and a lack of support for immigrants and refugees. Additionally, changes in the economy and the housing market are contributing to homelessness. The supply of affordable housing has not kept pace with the increasing population. Furthermore, there are declining incomes and a widespread reduction in social benefits for low-income Canadians, worsening the problem.
Issue Implications
The implications of homelessness are large and severe, affecting homeless individuals as well as the nation as a whole. Socially, there are many health issues which homeless individuals may encounter. Their health gets worse from time to time because they are neglected care; therefore, they lack basic necessities, causing multiple diseases. Additionally, they may suffer from mental and psychological trauma, causing them to feel helpless. Homelessness can tear families apart since some shelters do not take males, and it also takes a toll on the wellbeing of individuals. Homeless individuals are frequently attacked, abused and raped. Moreover, there is also the economic impact of homelessness on society. Operating and maintaining homeless support services such as shelters and soup kitchens are costly ventures. In fact, the annual cost of homelessness to the economy in Canada is $7.05 billion.
Bias
CBC news is known to be a biased news broadcaster who often has a left-wing perspective, promoting social care for all individuals. For this reason, they enforce the idea that the government should be taking further action to eradicate the problem completely. They do not provide any evidence to show what the government is currently doing to resolve the problem and find solutions, highlighting the lack of care instead.
The implications of homelessness are large and severe, affecting homeless individuals as well as the nation as a whole. Socially, there are many health issues which homeless individuals may encounter. Their health gets worse from time to time because they are neglected care; therefore, they lack basic necessities, causing multiple diseases. Additionally, they may suffer from mental and psychological trauma, causing them to feel helpless. Homelessness can tear families apart since some shelters do not take males, and it also takes a toll on the wellbeing of individuals. Homeless individuals are frequently attacked, abused and raped. Moreover, there is also the economic impact of homelessness on society. Operating and maintaining homeless support services such as shelters and soup kitchens are costly ventures. In fact, the annual cost of homelessness to the economy in Canada is $7.05 billion.
Bias
CBC news is known to be a biased news broadcaster who often has a left-wing perspective, promoting social care for all individuals. For this reason, they enforce the idea that the government should be taking further action to eradicate the problem completely. They do not provide any evidence to show what the government is currently doing to resolve the problem and find solutions, highlighting the lack of care instead.