How do we answer the call to help homeless?

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/03/2024 (567 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

“I’m homeless now.”

This was the response a patient of mine made when I asked him how he was doing. I remember feeling awful, like I’d somehow let my patient down. I remember thinking you don’t look homeless. But, can you even attempt to imagine having that happen to you? Talk about feeling vulnerable.

People that study homelessness will tell us that there are multiple reasons or explanations as to why or how someone becomes homeless. Here are some of the main ones: 1) the lack of safe, affordable housing; 2) people living in poverty — unable to pay rent or mortgages; 3) job loss; 4) illness or medical condition; 5) trauma; 6) conflict or abuse by spouse; parent or guardian; and 7) close to one-third of the homeless are struggling with mental health issues or addiction.

Many people think of the homeless as someone sleeping on the street or staying in a shelter, but there are also the “hidden homeless” — people who are couch-surfing or living in unsafe, inadequate housing. It also should be understood that some choose to sleep outside because shelters have limited hours and some fear becoming a victim of theft, assault or sexual violence at the hands of other patrons.

Home. The word home and what it stands for has many important meanings. The ability to control one’s environment is considered a basic indicator of mental health. People establish a personal identity through their homes. And, believe it or not, this is the case even to those in substandard housing.

Tent encampments are popping up all across Canada. Most major cities have them, but you don’t have to look any further than Brandon. Their presence has resulted in a lot of public concern. There have been a number of ways that particular city has “managed” them. We have all heard of the city’s police force being given direction to take down the encampments. They can’t stay there anymore.

Does it surprise you to know that the homeless have a much higher rate of becoming ill? Homelessness not only has a huge impact on people’s health, but also a huge impact on the use of our health-care services. I came across a report by an emergency physician who has treated a homeless patient and who was there in the ER for the 360th time. People who are homeless are more likely to be admitted to hospital, have more prolonged hospitalizations and are at higher risk of re-admission. Sounds costly!

Homeless people are more likely to die at younger ages and suffer from chronic problems. A survey of homeless in Toronto found rates of hepatitis C, epilepsy, heart disease, cancer, asthma, arthritis and diabetes up to 29 times higher than in the general population. The city of London, Ont., they have about 2,000 homeless people, and over the course of four years there were 240 deaths. Suicide rates are 40 times higher.

How can we help? How can we make change? Why should we help? Haven’t they brought it on themselves?

London, Ont., has taken a different approach. There is a large encampment along the river that flows through London. A meeting was convened that included all the players: city council, homeowners, business owners, police, fire department, medical doctors, nurses, counsellors and construction companies. They decided that they would not take the tents down. They agreed to go directly to the encampment and ask them what they needed.

Firstly, an edict was struck that “no one goes hungry in London.” Needs ranged from food and drink, warm clothing, sleeping bags to hygienic supplies, and port-o-potties were installed. If fires had been started, the fire department helped them make sure they were doing things in a safe way, and provided extinguishers. They were also provided information about shelters and warming centres. If there were mental health or addiction problems, counsellors were available.

The London group realized that in the homeless population, there were a number of more problematic people, especially those with mental-health issues. It was decided to intensify the help for their needs by building hubs — tiny homes with support staff offices nearby. The support included social workers, counsellors, nurses and doctors.

We do have a homeless crisis and a housing crisis. But unfortunately very little of the new construction is available for households in need. Canada does have a rich history (’60s, ’70s, ’80s) of investing in public housing. That ended in the 1990s. It is not for lack of resources that we have failed to provide healthy housing for every Manitoban. Rather, it is a failure of political will to make it a priority.

As one can see, homelessness is a very complex issue.

Brittany Graham, executive director of Vancouver area Network of Drug Users, stated: “If there is anything I know from my experience in Tent City, it’s that while, drugs and booze sometimes lead to homelessness, being homeless can make you turn to anything … the hardest aspect of vagrancy is not hunger, thirst, or even exposure to the elements. The most tortuous part is never being able to relax — not fully in any kind of real comfort and safety.”

Every human has a right to a home and that should be our social responsibility.

It’s worthy to note that there has been a ruling by a provincial Supreme Court that authorities cannot get rid of encampments unless they have somewhere to house or shelter the people involved. What to do? Look no further than London, Ont. They really cared. They answered that call for help.

» Scott Blyth is a retired family physician living in Brandon.