People need not remain homeless in our city
Affordable housing options are a key element of the strategy, Sam Watts says.
By linking funding to outcomes, we will make rapid progress.
As we walk around our city, we see hundreds of people who are experiencing homelessness. In addition, hundreds of others live in a precarious existence, rooming with friends and acquaintances or in less than ideal conditions in apartments that are unsuitable. Given my role leading a large not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to eliminating chronic homelessness and hunger in Montreal, people sometimes ask me to explain what is going on. Part of the explanation is good news. Despite clear growth in the reality of homelessness, Montreal is actually doing better than most North American cities because the major institutions that are addressing the day-to-day realities of the homeless population are collaborating to put an end to homelessness. Together, with the help of funding from the government, we have been able to provide more than 1,000 chronically homeless men and women with housing over the past two years. The popular belief is that the main reason for homelessness is drugs and alcohol. This is simply not consistent with the reality of 2018. More than 40 per cent of the clients that we see suffer from mental illness or are dealing with traumatic events from their past. Often a series of bad events coupled with poor choices can lead to a life in the street. A combination of health issues, job loss, family breakdown and poor financial acumen is something that can happen to almost anyone. We certainly see drugs and alcohol as a factor, but this is not always the primary issue. The reality of homelessness among women is often coupled with the experience of violence or rejection. The experience in First Nations communities is also unique and requires a tailored approach. There are as many reasons for homelessness as there are people who experience it. Chronic homelessness is a relatively recent social reality and does not need to exist in a developed country. We will not be able to stop people from becoming temporarily homeless, but we can avoid allowing the conditions to persist whereby a man or woman remains homeless for any extended period. Eliminating homelessness requires three things:
■ Well-co-ordinated policy frameworks at all levels of government. Successive federal, provincial and municipal governments have produced stacks of studies and plans, but have not been able to co-ordinate their policies. This needs to change. Specifically, policies that facilitate the availability of affordable housing options are a key element to the strategy of ending homelessness. If governments align their efforts on this issue then we will see a reduction in the homeless population.
■ Treating homelessness as a health issue — not just a social issue. The cost to the taxpayers of allowing people to persist in homelessness is significant. This isn’t merely a social problem, it represents an enormous cost to the health-care system. Spending on programs that produce a measurable reduction in chronic homelessness is an investment that saves money. It is much less expensive than the cost of health and welfare expenses of a population that exists on the margins.
■ Applying resources to organizations that deliver results. Organizations that seek to help those in need sometimes become part of the problem. Traditional funding has often been spread out among many organizations that “did good work.” Good work is not good enough. Funding and support must be tied to specific objectives. All too often, we have evaluated ourselves based on our activities (how many meals served and how many people came to our door). In the future, assessments must evaluate the impact of our activities. By linking funding to outcomes, we will make rapid progress toward having a city where visible, chronic homelessness is a thing of the past. Impossible? Not at all. Other North American cities have succeeded — Montreal can too.