Homelessness

INFO --> / The root of the problem /

There are many reasons why people become homeless. High cost of housing, poverty, domestic violence, drug and alcohol addictions and so on.   First of all, poverty is the biggest problem.  Someone who earns a low income can’t care for their basic needs which is housing, health care, food, transportation and utilities. These days, housing costs in Vancouver are too high, so some people can’t get their own houses because they earn about $300 a month, that’s why they live on the street.  Also, domestic violence is a really big problem, particularly for women with children. Many youth and young adults who are homeless have experienced violence in their home/life so they are shocked which creates mental and emotional problems. It can lead them to drug and alcohol addicitions. This addiction lures them to the streets, it's a vicious cycle. Finally, we thought, if they want to get a job they need their own ID card, but it is impossible to make ID cards without an address, and they don't have an address because they are living on the streets. by Claire and Ji Won

NEWS --> / Tent city /Oppenheimer Park / Vancouver.

Oppenheimer Park is in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside on Cordova and Jackson Street. Homeless protesters set up camp in Oppenheimer Park in July 2014. The organizer of Tent City supports homeless people living there until the government provides adequate housing for low-income residents. However the residents of the neighborhood want to kick them out and the city issued an eviction notice to protesters who have been camping in the park since two month ago, and this week is final week.

I’ve never seen homeless camps in the park in Taiwan. I think there's too many homeless people in Vancouver and they need some place to live that’s why a lot of homeless people were moving to Oppenheimer Park. The government has to organize a way to provide adequate housing for homeless people or help them with education and employment.   By Nick Li

OUTREACH --> / Carnegie Community Center / 

    There are many programs to help homeless people in Vancouver, Carnegie Community Center, located on main and Hastings has many Outreach programs. This is to help homeless people to be social, healthy, providing housing services. Also outreach staff petrol the alleys on weekday evenings and 12hrs a day on weekends. They support emergency aid, shelters, food, clothes, etc. The homeless outreach team works to ‘fast-track’ them onto welfare and into housing.

·     - Recreational programming helps to build relationships with clients and staff on site (by supporting artistic expression and community development)

·     - Peer mentors gives them work with Carnegie outreach staff who are already helped by that program

·      -Community projects enhance the street environment to provide meaningful creative outlets for DTES (e.g. Murals and other art projects)

   

  I think this is meaningful because it is evidence that Vancouver city is trying to help homeless people. In Korea, also these kinds of programs and organizations exist. But volunteers run them and homeless people were provided just some place like metro station. (Actually illegal). I’m impressed at some programs were fulfilled by Carnegie Community Center. Particularly, the peer mentor program where people get closer to homeless people and provide them with detailed help, which is what they really need. It is better that these kinds of programs are increased. We need more to make a difference.

by Aiden Han