Life on the Streets (Katsarov 2018)
By: Stephie Lee Varghese
Obtaining access to a safe and secure home is a basic necessity. However, many are left to live on the streets to fend for themselves for many different reasons.
Homelessness is the state of lacking adequate housing. It can also be defined as the inability to acquire a home. This includes people staying in emergency shelters, living temporarily with friends or strangers and those situated in motels.
In Canada, “more than 235,000 people… experience homelessness in any given year, and 25,000 to 35,000 people may be experiencing homelessness on any given night” (Strobel Burcul Dai Ma Jamani & Hossain 2021).
Some groups that experience homelessness include, “single adult men, people dealing with mental health issues or addictions, women with children fleeing violence, and Indigenous people” (Rech 2019).
Feeling Lonely Due to Homelessness (Warren 2017)
Based on various circumstances, many people are forced into becoming homeless. Some include unemployment, low income, shortage of affordable houses, addiction and health issues. Furthermore, family violence and abuse have led many people to leave their homes due to a feeling of danger.
Mental health issues may be factors in the cause of homelessness but these factors may also be developed due to homelessness. This is because having to find temporary accommodation regularly can lead to the feeling of loneliness, social exclusion and vulnerability.
A few common mental illnesses developed due to homelessness include, “depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and often posttraumatic stress disorder” (Institute of Global Homelessness n.d).
In addition, such mental illness can lead to substance misuse. Many homeless people resort to drugs or alcohol and eventually develop an addiction. Their addiction becomes a coping mechanism in their times of peril.
“In general, 30-35% of those experiencing homelessness, and up to 75% of women experiencing homelessness, have mental illnesses. 20-25% of people experiencing homelessness suffer from concurrent disorders (severe mental illness and addictions)” (Canadian Observatory on Homelessness n.d).
Person Experiencing Homelessness Seeks Kindness (Collamer 2018)
It is easy to pass judgment on homeless people, to give them dirty looks or believe that they are being ‘lazy and are trying to make easy money.’ However, this is not the case at all. It is important to remember that each person has been through various hardships that have led them to live on the streets.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder where the affected person interprets reality abnormally. An interview was held by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness with a schizophrenic homeless man. His name is Jason.
He stated that, “I always hung out on the street and never really left, you know? And things started to get really heavy when it comes to mental stability with what was going on in my life. So, I ended up in Toronto East General and was diagnosed with schizophrenia” (Jason 2011).
He goes on to say that he believes that homeless people can be treated better by the public. They should be given a chance to be understood by the public before being judged. One must be open minded and open hearted to homeless people to truly understand the struggles that each one has been through in their former life.
Painting by Lucas Joel Macauley (Macauley 2020)
Lucas Joel Macauley is an artist that has experienced homelessness and addiction. During his years on the streets, he relied on his artistic ability to give him hope. Eventually, Maculey entered rehabilitation to begin his recovery and created over a hundred pieces of art.
In an interview with My Modern Met, Macauley stated, “my art is reflective of my own experiences completely… I am giving people that look at my art: a direct look into my mind, my past, my memories, and my pain. I have one goal with my art and that is to tell the truth” (Stewart 2020).
Each painting created by Maculey has various words and phrases portrayed across the canvas. These words have been said to people experiencing homelessness various times while on the streets.
Macauley sums it up perfectly in this interview, “why do we turn our heads down and our eyes to avoid such an obvious problem? Where is the love? My story is just one of many” (Stewart 2020).
Homelessness is a Social Issue (Heller 2019)
Homelessness has become a social issue as there are economic and social factors that play a role.
A study conducted by the Homeless Hub and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness depicted that, “the problem of homelessness and housing exclusion refers to the failure of society to ensure that adequate systems, funding and support are in place so that all people… have access to housing” (Edison-Brown 2014).
The systems being referred to include child welfare services, inadequate discharge planning for people leaving hospitals, mental health facilities and lack of support for immigrants and refugees.
In order for society to resolve this issue, people experiencing homelessness must have access to supportive housing and other community support systems. “Housing outreach services that provide a safe place to live are a vital component of stabilizing the illness and helping individuals on their journey to recovery” (Canadian Observatory on Homelessness n.d).
Acknowledging People Experiencing Homelessness (Videoink n.d)
As mentioned on the Ontario Human Rights Commission website, adequate housing is a fundamental human right. Moreover, ensuring that all people have access to mental health and addiction facilities or counselling should be a top priority.
One can help eradicate homelessness by raising awareness, listening and acknowledging their stories, preparing care packages with basic necessities for them and donating to organizations such as the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. Furthermore, one can also help end homelessness by volunteering at soup kitchens, food banks or local shelters.
There is immense power in unity.
As a society, it is important to undergo a paradigm shift. Homeless people do not deserve to be stereotyped or perceived as the ‘outcasts of society’. They deserve to have their stories heard without the fear of judgement and have access to affordable housing. This way they will be able to move forward and establish a comfortable life for themselves.
Works Cited
(www.eyelight.com), Eyelight Inc. “YOU Can Help End Homelessness in 6 Simple Ways!” Lutherwood, www.lutherwood.ca/about-us/agency-overview/enewsletter/end-homelessness-6-ways.
*, Name. “Speech on Help the Homeless.” The Video Ink, 15 Oct. 2020, thevideoink.com/speech-on-help-the-homeless/.
Chattyfeet, et al. “Powerful Paintings Recount an Artist's Personal Experiences with Addiction and Homelessness.” My Modern Met, 27 July 2020, mymodernmet.com/lucas-joel-macauley-paintings-personal-experience/.
Collamer, Matt. “Photo by Matt COLLAMER .” Beautiful Free Images & Pictures, Unsplash, 12 Feb. 2018, unsplash.com/photos/8UG90AYPDW4.
“Home.” CAEH, caeh.ca/.
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Rech, Nathalie. “Homelessness in Canada.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/homelessness-in-canada.
“Schizophrenia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 7 Jan. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354443#:~:text=Schizophrenia.
“State of Homelessness in Countries with Developed Economies.” Institute of Flobal Homelessness, www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/05/CASEY_Louise_Paper.pdf.
Tsekouras, Phil. “Toronto Opens Second COVID-19 Recovery Site for People Experiencing Homelessness.” Toronto, CTV News, 6 May 2020, toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-opens-second-covid-19-recovery-site-for-people-experiencing-homelessness-1.4927442.
Witesman, Eva. “Op-Ed: The Vicious Cycle of Loneliness in Homelessness.” Deseret News, Deseret News, 22 Dec. 2017, www.deseret.com/2017/12/21/20624489/op-ed-the-vicious-cycle-of-loneliness-in-homelessness.
“X.15.2019 - Housing & HOMELESSNESS – Part One.” Whitesell & Company - Strategy Change Coaching, www.whitesellcompany.com/x.15.2019---housing---homelessness---part-one.