OTTAWA, Oct. 20, 2016 /CNW/ - Homelessness in Canada remains at crisis levels, but for the first time in more than 25 years, there is hope, according to the State of Homelessness in Canada 2016 released today in Ottawa by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.
The report presents recommendations to the Government of Canada for the upcoming National Housing Strategy and shows not only how homelessness could be eliminated, but that ending homelessness is achievable and affordable.
"It's great to know that Canada is coming back to a National Housing Strategy," said Stephen Gaetz, Director of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. "This is an opportunity to correct more than 25 years of inadequate investment, which has led to our current affordable housing crisis. It is also an opportunity to end homelessness in Canada once and for all."
"We agree with the government's National Housing Strategy objective to ensure all Canadians have safe, decent and affordable housing," says Tim Richter, President of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. "But we must act most urgently for those for whom a lack of housing can be a matter of life and death – people experiencing or at risk of homelessness."
The report recommends an investment of $4.474 billion in 2017-2018 or $43.788 billion over a 10-year period, representing an annual increase of $1.818 billion more than the federal government is projected to spend on affordable housing in 2017-2018. That is only an additional $50 per Canadian annually or less than a $1 per week to prevent and end homelessness in Canada. It's worth noting that homelessness currently costs the Canadian economy over $7 billion per year.
"The good news is we know what to do to solve homelessness: targeted affordable housing investment, community systems planning, Housing First, prevention and federal leadership will get us there," said Gaetz. "And importantly, we also know solving homelessness will be far cheaper than ignoring it."
Modern mass homeless in Canada is primarily the result of shrinking federal investment in housing beginning in the 1980s. As homelessness in Canada has grown, the face of homelessness has changed. What began as a phenomenon primarily impacting older single men now includes women (27 per cent of the homeless population), seniors (24.4% of shelter users), and youth (18 per cent of the homeless population). Indigenous Peoples are 27 to 33 per cent of shelter users and are 10 times more likely to use homeless emergency shelters, yet only represent only 4.3 percent of the Canadian population.
State of Homelessness in Canada: 2016 key recommendations:
Homelessness by the numbers:
The complete State of Homelessness in Canada 2016 report is available here: http://www.homelesshub.ca/SOHC2016
SOURCE Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
Image with caption: "Report on the State of Homelessness in Canada 2016 (CNW Group/Canadian Observatory on Homelessness)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161020_C3290_PHOTO_EN_800237.jpg
Media Contact: Michael Powell, Impact Public Affairs, 613-233-8906, [email protected]
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