Homelessness : The Invisible People

Homelessness

Todays

Invisible people

Homelessness tends to immediately bring visions of an older man with dirty clothes, sleeping on a park bench, or in cardboard boxes. The truth is homeless victims have many faces with multiple systemic layers. It is a complex Social Issue with structural resource deficiencies, and economic failure, leaving the vulnerable population at the highest risk.

I viewed from the series invisiblepeople.tv, many different stories about homeless people, much like an onion they had various layers, but all still shared a homeless outcome. They appeared to be left without a real action plan on how to solve their problem, in large due to lack of social programing that directs a long term solution instead of a band –aid approach. Often underlining conditions in the homeless are addictions such as Erin, (either previous to homelessness or as a result of being homeless) mental illness such as Amy (undiagnosed or diagnosed), emotional grief or losses (David, Catherine and Darryl), lack of monetary resources to provide for the family, and sometimes a combination of them all.

To develop solutions to this it helps if we look back in history to review how they would have dealt with homelessness, therefore enabling us to come up with a prosperity plan. Divided into 4 phases it is called “The Rise of Income Security in Canada.” (p.27) Phase 1, known as the Colonial period was up until 1867. Natives lived in Canada, a time of true egalitarian values, of tight knit communities, that took care of one another, all before Europeans came and took over. However being a British Colony Country we review Elizabeth’s poor laws 160...

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...(documentaries, internet) has been effective in bring our attention regarding government and social issues, raising the curtain and keeping hierarchy on their toes. It teaches us where to look for help and how to make changes. Social media such as Facebook although not always a credible source and it comes under much criticism for this, probably has the largest impact. It is our friends or friends of friends sharing stories and things of interest. It works, and like it or not it is an excellent tool in raising awareness to a cause.

Protecting the vulnerable is never easy, and change is not made overnight, but with small steps, a strong government, supportive private organizations, and yes; you and I…we can make a difference.

Hick, S. (2014). Social welfare in Canada: Understanding income security (3rd ed., pp. 27-82). Toronto: Thompson Educational Pub.