|
SHELTER
Victoria can't keep homeless
out
of park if shelter not available.
“I have concluded that the
prohibition in the Bylaws against the erection of temporary shelter in the form
of tents, tarpaulins, cardboard boxes or other structures exposes the homeless
to a risk of significant health problems or even death”, BC
Supreme Court Justice Carol Ross concludes in hers lengthy judgement on the City
of Victoria attempt to prevent the homeless from setting up of make shift
shelters in a city park. She adds,
“The prohibition constitutes a deprivation of the rights to life, liberty and
security of the persons protected under s. 7. of the Canadian Charter of
rights and freedom.
Justice
Ross heard wide ranging evidence, including the Mayor’s Task Report that
indicates that Victorial has many more homeless than can be accommodated in the
availables shelters. She cited precedents that support the contention that
City’s action
- has deprived the homeless
of access to the shelter required for adequate protection from the elements;
and
·
leaves the homeless person to
choose between a breach of the Bylaws in order to obtain adequate shelter or
inadequate shelter exposing him or her to increased risks to significant health
problems or even death
“I find that this prohibition
by the City constitutes a deprivation of the security of the person.”
The Attorney General of British
Columbia supported the City of Victoria. The BC Civil Liberties Association
appeared in support of the homeless participants.
For
the entire judgement click here.
Foundation approves of
federal policies,
but wants more funds
“Provinces need to recognize that homelessness is a provincial responsibility,
and they should integrate their homelessness policy with their housing
policy,” a report of the Canada West Foundation says.
The report,
A Roof Over Our Heads 2008, was funded by the Alberta Real Estate
Foundation and the Urban Development Institute of Alberta, approves of current
of current federal government policy of decentralized policy of offering funding
for housing, and letting provinces decide how. “Therefore, provinces are
better suited to respond to their own housing circumstances than the federal
government. Policies for affordable housing should be built up from the local
and provincial level, not down from the federal level. “
However,
the report points to government spending reductions as having a deleterious
effect on the implementation.
The
report also expresses concern for the disconnect between affordable housing and
homelessness policies. The report also points out that a “one-size-fits-al
approach should continue to be avoided.
The report
argues “there is a history in Canada of undermining the effectiveness of
market mechanisms.” It points out that the federal government made the tax
treatment of rental properties less favourable for investors. The cite rent
controls and anti-inflation measure as have a short term benefit for renter but
causing long term problems by causing a reductions in rental housing
“Government policy thus had the effect of discouraging the private development
of rental units.
”British
Columbia is lauded for its programs that integrate homeless policies with it
housing policy.
David Snow prepared the report.
US reports decline in
homeless
“We're making progress in reducing chronic street homelessness in
America and with more resources and better reporting, we can continue this
trend. But we must also recognize that we have a long way to go to find a more
lasting solution for those struggling with homelessness every day." The
statement was made Housing and Urban Development Secretary Steve Preston.
He claims that nearly 32,000 fewer persons lived on the streets and in
emergency shelters in the United States.
For the first time HUD’S Annual
Homeless Assessment Report to Congress was be able to report on
homelessness over a full-year period. The
report indicates that there were 123,833 chronically homeless persons in 2007,
compared to 155,623 in 2006 and 175,914 in 2005. HUD defines a chronically
homeless person as a disabled individual who has been continuously homeless for
more than one year or has experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in
the past three years.
HUD
attributes the decline to increased funding from HUD and other sources for
permanent supportive housing, improved data collection and reporting, and
variation in the number of communities reporting these data on an annual
basis.
The statistics are based on
sampling techniques applied to 98 communities. The report indicates that
- 77
percent are in central cities – 23 percent are in suburban and rural
areas.
- 70
percent are individuals – 30 percent are persons in families with
children.
- 64
percent are members of racial minorities.
- 69
percent of all sheltered homeless individuals are men.
- 55
percent of all homeless individuals are 31-to-50 years old.
- 13
percent of all homeless are veterans.
Calgary count reveals more
homeless kids
Calgary’s biennial count of
the homeless reveals a rise in the number of children, youths and families among
those without shelter. The report on the enumeration calls it a “particular
concern”. Facilities and agencies counted 384 children and youth less than 18
years of age, a 34% increase over the 2006 enumeration. The 2008 survey also
found 197 families, including 190 with children.
Calgary’s Community and
Neighbourhood Services Research Unit counted a total of 4060 homeless person on
the night of May 14, 2008, an 18% increase over the last count in 2006. Contrast
this with a total of 5,000 or more in the City of Toronto, which has about 2.5
times the Alberta city. While Calgary’s economy is booming, the numbers of
homeless has increased by six fold over a decade.
The
total was arrived at by counting the numbers in shelters and other homeless
facilities and by a count on the streets. Those sleep on the streets numbered
598. Since the last survey in 2006, more of those sleeping outdoor are found
camped along riverbanks, transit shelters and densely forested areas of parks.
“The spread of street homelessness (in location, not necessarily volume) has
exceeded the City's ability to coordinate a point-in-time count that would
locate and enumerate the entire street homeless population of Calgary.” The
counters used a regression analysis and other statistical techniques to arrive
at the total.
The
report indicates that:
·
3695 individuals were found in shelters and transition beds;
·
190 persons in remand centres had no fixed address; and
·
25 youths in custody had no fixed address;
Among
those enumerated and observed in shelters and services agencies:
·
78% were males;
·
62% were Caucasians;
·
15% were aboriginals; and
·
11% were other visible minorities
Aboriginals make of 3% of
Calgary’s population, while the visible minority population is about 24%.
The
survey definition homeless is what the United Nations calls 'absolute
homelessness,' meaning people who are living in the street with no physical
shelter of their own, including those who spend their nights in shelters. The
findings provide a snapshot of the number of people in Calgary who are likely to
be absolutely homelessness on any given night.
A special feature of the Calgary
situation the numbers of people who have jobs. Several shelters report that
between 40 per cent and sixty person of their clientele have full time jobs.
The
City of Calgary has been the first in Canada to enumerate the homeless. The Biennial
Count of Homeless Persons in Calgary 2008 May 14 is ninth it has
conducted.
Most women nearly homeless in north
Most women in the North are only a step away from being homeless, a study published by the YWCA Canada reports. “The reasons are complex and include factors and determinants that go well beyond a critical shortage of affordable housing and the consequences are devastating,” the YWCA states.
Read
full report
Toronto public housing reopens as mixed
neighforhood
Mount
Court/Rivertowne community officially opened the doors today to the first
residents of the revitalized Don Mount Court/Rivertowne community - Canada's
first public housing development rebuilt as a mixed-income community. was
officially opened as by Toronto Community Housing.
 |
While
the concept is higly praised, critics point out that it does not increase
the total stock of afforable housing in Toronto, which suffers from a
serious chronic lack of housing for low income households.. |
A
significant number of units in Don Mount Court were deemed uninhabitable in 2002
when Toronto Community Housing assumed responsibility for the development, when
low-income housing responsibilities were downloaded from the Ontario government
to the municipalities.. In addition to the poor state of repair, Toronto
Community Housing also recognized that the original design isolated residents
from the surrounding neighbourhood. The revitalized community has been designed
to meet residents' social and safety needs.
Located
in south Riverdale section of Toronto,
Don Mount Court/Rivertowne will include 187 market-priced urban townhomes
and 232 redeveloped Toronto Community Housing rental homes, establishing a new
neighborhood on new public streets with landscaped boulevards, courtyards,
pedestrian walkways and a new, two-acre neighbourhood park. The rental townhomes
and the apartment building include a mix of one to five bedroom units in a
number of suite styles including wheelchair accessible units. Buildings are
designed in the height and style of surrounding low-rise buildings, and look
similar to the market housing. The new community welcomes the extension of Munro
Street to Queen Street East and the inclusion of a large public park.
The
project is a joint venture including Don Mount Court Development Corporation (a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Toronto Community Housing), Intracorp Development
Inc. and Marion Hill Development Corp., with the support of the City of Toronto,
and the Ontario government.
www.torontohousing.ca /
| 
