Dear editor,
I get so dejected when I read and hear the constant abuse towards our unhoused population that currently permeates all facets of social media and press, rather than directing the frustration towards the systems that have created this issue.
As a frontline worker, I see the constant misery and desperation of the unhoused population daily. The amount of heartbreaking conversations I’ve had with unhoused individuals whose health is affected by living on the streets is becoming too numerous to collate.
Yes, many may experience mental health issues and substance use entrenchment, but how are individuals supposed to improve their well-being, health and community standing without affordable and stable housing? Housing should be a human right and has been recognized as such by parliament. In 2019, Parliament passed the National Housing Strategy Act, which recognizes housing as a human right and commits organizations and governments to reform housing laws, policies and programs.
Unfortunately, as seen too many times in various governments over the years, this seems to present itself as mere “lip service” with little being done in the way of fixing the housing crisis and just presenting “Band-aid” solutions that are purely for optics. I’d like to echo Dorothy Wignall’s comments in her letter, published on Feb. 2 (The current homelessness policy is simply not effective) in that homelessness is not a challenge for local charities or religious groups to tackle – it’s for our provincial and federal governments to act and create new initiatives that put affordable and stable housing first.
Let’s not direct our anger towards the individuals who are unhoused and living on the streets. Nobody wants to be unhoused, braving the extreme elements and living in fear of reprisals. It’s time to question both federal and provincial governments, their lack of urgency on this matter and their advocacy of new housing initiatives. They are the ones who have exacerbated this, not those who are unhoused.
Jimmy Andrews,
Courtenay