Homelessness, it’s not in my backyard right? Wrong.

Since April 2005, 7 people in London have died as a result of the effects of homelessness, according to one agency representative providing shelter services in London.

In London, each year over 200 families are becoming homeless and need access to emergency shelter, while 15,000 households are at risk of economic homelessness.

Furthermore, London is tied with Toronto, for providing the most inadequate housing to its citizens, according to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

These alarming statistics can no longer be ignored. Homelessness is not just a municipal issue in some large cities, but a national crisis in our country. Canada is considered to be one of the wealthiest countries in the world, yet according to Statistics Canada, 1.5 million households are in core housing need, which accounts for 5% of Canada’s total population

Canada gets a failing grade in providing adequate, accessible and affordable housing to Canadian citizens according to the G8, Canada is one of two G8 countries that does not have a national housing program.

We are failing our country, and some of the most vulnerable people that suffer the consequences of our lack of action towards homelessness are the aboriginal and youth populations.

Over, one-third of Canada’s homeless population is youth and 46% of women in shelters are of Aboriginal decent.

What are some possible solutions to Canada’s homelessness crisis?

According to the United Nations committee, Canada needs to implement s national housing strategy aimed at reducing homelessness and poverty. The first step in that process consists of the federal, provincial, and territorial governments declaring homelessness and inadequate housing as a national crisis.

NDP Leader Jack Layton has already started this process by calling on the Conservative government to declare a national state of emergency.

“This will allow us to deal with the crisis we are facing and will also serve as a wake-up call for the federal government on the need to set up a national housing program so the travesty of homelessness will end,” said NDP Homelessness critic Irene Mathyssen.

Irene Mathyssen, MP for London-Fanshawe, is a part of the solution. She recently introduced Bill C-382 into the House of Commons of Canada, which is an act to provide for the secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians.

This act would allow the reinstatment of social housing programs, as well as increase and improve the housing stock. Increasing shelter allowances and social assistance rates to realistic levels, providing adequate services for personas with disabilities, improving protection of security of tenure for tenants, and protecting affordable rental stock from conversion to other users are all part of the program Mathyssen proposes.

Likewise, a national program will also allow national homelessness initiatives such as Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative (SCPI) to continue and create a more integrated and inclusive approach to homelessness in Canada. Increasing the availability and access to a range of services and facilities along the continuum from homelessness to self-sufficiency – emergency shelters - transitional/supportive housing – prevention.

As it stands right now, there are still agencies in London that are without their SCPI funding for the 2006-2007 fiscal year and it’s almost at the end of December.

Every night in London approximately 516 people spend the night in shelters. This number doesn’t even account for the number of people who are considered to be the “hidden homeless” who “couch surf” with family and friends, and those who sleep outside or in abandoned building because they are not comfortable with the shelters.

Agencies are doing their part to help deal with the homeless crisis in our city, but without the remaining funds that were allotted to them through the SCPI program they are forced to close their doors, lay off workers, and cannot provide the necessary services to those who are in most need.

Its our responsibility as Canadian citizens to put pressure on the federal government to declare homelessness a national state of emergency, so that more emergency shelters can be established and money allocated to provide the necessarily services to not only deal with crisis of homelessness, but begin to look at ways to prevent it.

Every Canadian has “the right to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions (International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).

Authored by Sheri Denomme. Sheri is currently a social work student in London and is completing her internship assisting constituents at MP Irene Mathyssen's office.