Guest column: Long-term investment only way to resolve homeless and needy crisis – Windsor Star

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Have you ever found yourself walking along a walkway in Montreal, Toronto, Windsor or any city in Canada, where you come face to face with a person holding their hands out or a cup hoping for some change?

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How did you react? Ignore them, stare in disgust, feel sorry for them, but not donate to their cause of survival?

Don’t feel bad about your response. I believe ignoring those before you is often the top option taken by people, perhaps next followed by a limited drop of change that may buy them a coffee.

Feeling bad about what you do or did not do is both naturally human and conscience driven.

But I believe our Canadian cities have not done very well for the homeless and destitute of our society.

I do not mean Canadians have not spent large amounts of money to help these individuals because all levels of our governments have spent hundreds of millions of dollars doing just that.

I suggest the empathy we have for these individuals has not been thought out very well — or at least not expanded to where support should have gone.

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We naturally react to problems before us. We recognize a challenge, possibly study it, then go to our experts and ask what should we do.

Well, we have reacted on this issue many times, gone to the “specialists” to be directed towards a quick, temporary “make us feel good” solution.

But what I feel is needed is a planned long-term response to this challenge.

The homeless, destitute, mentally ill and transient often make tent cities in our urban centres. We try to do much to assist them and dissuade them from staying in these areas.

After every attempt to assist them, almost inevitably our police are directed by political leaders to empty those parks. Sometimes violence and misunderstandings abound. Then the rich versus the poor becomes a rallying cry for the sector that cares for these people.

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Years ago, the Ontario government closed many mental health institutions throughout the province I feel creating part of the problem. Services and shelters are offered to people, but often not used by many.

I believe our governments either totally misunderstand these individuals or just don’t care enough. Shelters can be very crowded places to live, rules impossible to follow and violence happens often among clients.

The very stresses and mishaps that lead individuals to homelessness and mental problems becomes more pronounced.

The problem I feel is nearly every effort made by a government is intended to be temporary.

These issues need to be better thought out and then act. Long-term strategies are usually more effective and less costly over time. Let’s invest in people, don’t coddle them and offer trinkets of consolation.

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When it comes to homelessness, a multi-governmental effort must be made with direct ownership investments by municipal, provincial and federal governments to develop and build real affordable housing.

We have seen what private developers have to offer us — solutions that are never really affordable, always centred upon immediate profitability.

We must instead focus efforts upon our neighbours first and possible long-term profits later. Call upon our “specialists” to offer how and what affordable housing should look like for young, old, disadvantaged and disabled clients. Then find pre-existing governmental properties where building housing is an immediate asset.

When it comes to those mentally challenged I feel the most pronounced question has been what can we do for these clients?

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What indeed. First off we need to get many of these people off the street. In freezing winters staying outside can be suicidal. Police and medical teams should have powers to “arrest” if necessary those individuals truly in need of assistance. A firm protocol must be established where clients enter our programs.

Next steps should include an initial evaluation of the person’s situation, full evaluation of their medical and mental health, then placement to respectful accommodation with supervision.

If needed, a three-month program to assist initial addiction, mental and associated conditions. Then provide follow-up evaluations to each individual’s progress.

If more help is needed it should be provided. Multiple hiring of therapists, psychologists, specialty teachers, social workers and trades personnel newly graduating from our colleges and universities will be required. But instead of putting bandages upon each individual’s life we will put full investments into each and every one.

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Pathways to further education, personal development will be encouraged. Many of those without homes I feel will respond well to affordable housing that can be rented or owned in time.

Those that are unemployable due to their physical, developmental state in life can be given opportunities not based upon stereotypes. A person’s offered gifts and abilities will be used to our societal benefit.

If you were to compare the costs of maintaining these people as we have been doing for multiple generations and what the cost would be should we invest in long-term solutions for our neighbours in need, I believe there will be no doubt how we should proceed.

For those asking how are we going to afford these services and investments, I’d like to believe most Canadians would prefer investing in community/persons before investing in a thing. Governmental or public corporate bonds with good returns could also possibly be offered.

All these acts I believe could show the world that Canadians can and will stand above the rest as empathic innovators of what is humanly excellent.

Steven Kaszab is a resident in Bradford, Ontario, a community north of Toronto.