Marie-Josee Caron Major Assignment Part 2: Individual Component Due March 4, 2013

Professional Issues III: Diversity and Human Rights for the Child and Youth Worker Program

for Professor Zuby Saloojee CYCS 3014

The struggle to end homelessness in Canada: How we created the crisis. And how we can end it by Stephen Gaetz In 'the Struggle to end Homelessness in Canada: How we created the Crisis, and how we can end it' Stephen Graetz argues that even though Canada is a prosperous nation with enviable health care system and social program, it is surprisingly suffering from an extreme homelessness crisis. This growing problem seems to be a result of significant structural changes in the economy, as well as a shift in the Canadian Government in regards to allocating support for low income families, individuals, and lack of funding in affordable housing. These changes, starting in the early 1980's and directly impact Canada's homelessness population. A problem, that once, mostly affected single male, is now affecting a diverse range of people, individual and families. The author mentions how, Although social and economic stressors such as mental illness, addictions and family violence combined with low income have always been risk factor for many people in Canada, only in recent years has these stressors have been directly linked to long term homelessness within woman, youth and families. This reality has became more predominant due to the lack of affordable housing, closure of rooming houses and rental housing being replaced by condominiums for example. These changes combined with the shift in economic structure have made homelessness a reality for more vulnerable individuals and families. Increase in visible homeless people living in parks and streets across the country became a highly talk issues in the early 1990's, which soon became know as a 'national disaster'. This is when numerous community based organization and groups put in place a wide range of emergency programs and services for people in need of shelters. In this article, the author explains how focus on three specific steps can be part of the solution in beating homelessness. The first step he mentions is 'prevention', which means helping people in need of support before they become homeless. By providing the adequate services to people in need of basis help such mental health care, economic crisis support or affordable housing. The second step he mention is focusing on 'managing' people when they are homeless. Providing services such as shelter, drop in, soup kitchen which provides the basic need while someone is going through homelessness. All of this combined with 'supporting' people to transition out of homelessness by provided services that help, encourage and promote strategies in a positive way. All this steps need to part a the solution but are not the solution. The author argues that although these strategies are needed and welcome, as long as the countries structural conditions stay the same and encourages homelessness, Canadian will continue to struggle with homelessness.

Reference: Gaeatz, S. The struggle to end homelessness in Canada: How we ceaed the crisis, and how to can end it. The open services and policy Journal, 2010, 3, 21-26