Helping the Homeless

- While many individuals seeking shelter due to homelessness use the service for the short-term, in many urban settings, studies have shown that 10% of these people have been homeless for over a year (Muckle & Turnbull, 2006).

- This means that many homeless people seeking shelter in Canada must use shelters for the long-term.

- However, many municipalities have proven to be unprepared to face the issue of homelessness (Ranasinghe & Valverde, 2006)

- It is harder to create services and resources for homeless people, such as shelters, than one may think (Ranasinghe & Valverde, 2006).

- Ranasinghe & Valverde (2006) concluded that to solve the issue of homelessness, all three levels of the Canadian government must work together

- Crowded conditions in homeless shelters create a negative environment for the homeless (Miller et al, 2004). This is an issue that must be addressed for both the comfort and health of the homeless population.

- Some researchers have suggested that offering counseling services in shelters could also assist the homeless population (Miller et al, 2004).

- Not only must officials make sure that there are adequate shelters and resources for the homeless, but they must also ensure that these resources are positive and well-kept up.

- Resources for the homeless can be found on the "resources" page on this blog.

 

Image source