Homelessness is not a mistake people make, caused by their characteristics or mistakes, but rather by the actions or inability to act of society and governments in areas of poverty, deinstitutionalization and the reduction in the supply of affordable services. accommodation. Poverty is the root cause of homelessness, and the growing number of poor people leaves many without shelter or a roof over their heads. Deinstitutionalization was initially seen as an appropriate way to maximize resources, but insufficient reinforcement led to vagrancy. The increasing cost of rent and housing has made it difficult to pay for other basic necessities such as food, leading to homelessness as the only option. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay However, if prevention and reduction strategies are effectively implemented by the government, a reduction in homelessness is entirely possible. The emergence and deepening of poverty has increased due to changes in the composition of the labor market and changes in government policy such as restrictions on eligibility for employment insurance and increases in social assistance. The rich continue to get richer and the poor to get poorer. “Between 1986 and 1996, Canada's population increased by 14 percent, which would give rise to expectations of a corresponding increase in the number of Canadians living below the official poverty line set by the federal government. Instead, we find that there were 30 percent more Canadians living in poverty at the end of this period, a rate that was more than double that justified by a 14 percent population increase. (Pohl, par. 1; “cause #1” sec.7) Women particularly have a harder time coping with poverty issues because they are more likely to experience periods of low financial instability for a longer period of time and to a greater extent. deeper than men. In 2003, approximately 1.5 million adult women lived in poverty. In the same year, the average pre-tax income of women over 16 was only 62% of that of men. (Women and Girls: Homelessness and Poverty in Canada 1) These underlying factors in women's poverty are responsible for the majority of women experiencing homelessness. For example, in Vancouver, 31.5% of homeless people confined to the streets were women under the age of 19. Thus, not only men and women, but also young people are affected by poverty and homelessness. The likelihood that young people growing up in poverty are much more likely to live in extreme financial distress. This is the result of other negative consequences of poverty such as poor academic performance, abuse and neglect, developmental delays, physical health problems, and behavioral and sociological problems. Deinstitutionalization has led to structural changes in the health care system, which has resulted in people being discharged from institutions without any appropriate community support programs, leaving them homeless. Without appropriate community support programs, deinstitutionalized mentally ill people have more difficulty finding housing. The Vancouver Richmond Health Board/Vancouver Community Mental Health Services maintains a waiting list of 2,600 people with mental illness who wait an average of four years for supportive housing. (Causes and effects of homelessness 3) For example, over the past four decades, theBritish Columbia has experienced the greatest deinstitutionalization it has ever seen. This is directly attributable to the downsizing and eventual closure of Riverview Hospital on July 13, 2012. When Riverview Hospital downsized, it was underfunded and felt like modern medicine had given up to the need for a psychiatric hospital. This resulted in deinstitutionalization of many patients deemed fit for society when in reality they were more suitable to remain in psychiatric institutions permanently or for an extended period of time. These patients, after wandering the streets and looking for work and housing for a month or a year, seemed to find housing in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The area's neighborhoods are considered a standard for low-income people or those seeking a better life because they have many community resources aimed at the homeless, making them also attractive to people with mental illnesses . Additionally, as deinstitutionalization led patients to homelessness, homelessness opened the door to incarceration. Surveys of inmates and detainees reveal that mentally disordered offenders are more likely than other inmates to be homeless at the time of their arrest and in the year before their arrest. (Markowitz 51). Additionally, with insufficient neighborhood treatment programs and limited staff, personal resources, and public supports, many struggling homeless people are at increased risk of confrontation and arrest by police. These displaced persons are incarcerated not only for summary offenses such as drunkenness, disorderly conduct, vagrancy or nuisance, but also for criminal offenses such as assault, theft and robbery. Housing prices continue to fall today and the number of low-income people continues to swell. As immigrants continue to flood into Canada, the provisions made for them have led to substandard housing options. Not only are these homes unreasonably priced, but they are also not comfortable or acceptable. Inadequate housing, such as in poor areas like Vancouver, has seen an alarming increase in bedbugs, particularly in the Downtown Eastside, where 31 percent of residents have reported infestations. (Bedbugs) For example, in Metro Vancouver, it was found that 96% of refugees experience extreme, high, or moderate housing stress during their first six months in Canada. (Francis 60) During their first year in Canada, refugees benefit from the resettlement program. Assistance Program (PAR), designed to be strictly for housing and food. PAR rates depend on the number of people making up a family; for example, a single refugee receives $635, a family of three receives $1,163, and a family of five receives $1,447 per month. The average monthly rent in Metro Vancouver in October 2008 for a three-bedroom apartment was $1,356, suitable for a family of five. Therefore, after paying for housing, a family of five has $91 to pay for food and other expenses. This causes many problems leading to homelessness, as newly integrated refugees are generally unfamiliar with Canadian norms and traditions and have difficulty finding employment or any other means of supporting themselves or their families. So the $91 is all they have to eat and.