Best kind of social medicine in Medicine Hat

Former American president Jimmy Carter said, “The measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens.”

In Canada, two programs have become ingrained in our culture: public education and socialized medicine. Neither is perfect and both are in need of constant improvement, but the benefits of both far outweigh their costs.

A new idea is now emerging in Canada that’s as innovative and revolutionary as public education and socialized medicine were in their day. While the following project looks like an additional public expenditure on something that should be delivered by charity groups, it simply makes good financial sense.

In 2009, the Alberta city of Medicine Hat established the goal to eliminate homelessness. It was seen as a humanitarian effort and a money-saving initiative. By 2015, the goal was achieved. Today, people spend no more than 10 days in shelters before they’re assessed and on their way to find a home.

Housing and caring for these vulnerable individuals has reduced the crime rate, reduced the workload of first responders, reduced the number of hospital emergency room visits and eased pressure on the courts. While it can cost over $100,000 a year to service a person living on the streets, it costs roughly $35,000 a year to give a person a permanent roof over their heads and provide them with the services they need.

The long-term benefits of this solution to homelessness are yet to be seen. It’s not unrealistic to conclude, however, that the Medicine Hat model will spread across Canada and throughout the world.

And that it will improve the quality of life for not only the most vulnerable, but for all citizens.