Main Causes and Effects of Homelessness in Vancouver (Block)

Lilibeth E. Laqui (21100230)

Acsenda School of Management

ENGL101-08: Academic Writing Fundamentals

Professor Maryam Valiante

15th of June, 2023

 Homelessness is a societal issue in Vancouver, Canada, and it has grown drastically over the

years. Homelessness is both relative and absolute. Full homelessness is defined as not having access to

sufficient physical dwelling. Relative homelessness refers to people who are both homeless due to

health or unsafe conditions, such as lack of personal housing or stable income, and have housing.

Homelessness is a growing threat to many immigrant families in Canada, making it increasingly difficult

to find affordable long-term housing. This essay will look at the fundamental causes of homelessness in

Vancouver, which are a lack of money and high housing expenses, both of which contribute to health

and criminal issues.

One of the main concerns that continue to push residents onto the streets is the city's growing

unemployment rate, leaving those on precarious employment contracts with long-term financial

problems. In 2005, the majority of Vancouver's population was homeless (approximately 44%) due to

insufficient income. Although it dropped to 25% in 2008, it still represents the majority of homeless

people in Vancouver. According to Schiff et al. (2015), in many Vancouver neighborhoods, social

assistance, used by nearly half of the city's homeless population, is still insufficient to cover rent.

Homelessness is a sign of more serious problems and lack of income leads to health problems.

According to Reid et al; (2005), about 80% of homeless people have chronic health problems.

Homelessness is associated with a variety of health issues, such as mental health disorders, substance

misuse, and sexually transmitted illnesses. Addiction, on the other hand, was discovered to play a

significant influence on homeless people living on the streets. Substance abuse is not simply a symptom

of homelessness, it can also be the cause, and sexually transmitted diseases like HIV increase the

likelihood of infection among Vancouver's homeless population. The use of alcohol, marijuana, and

crystals, as well as substance abuse and shelter overcrowding, all lead to an increased risk of

tuberculosis.
 Housing prices accounted for the second biggest proportion of Vancouver's homeless (about

22%) in 2005, but by 2008, that ratio had dropped to 19%. According to Preston (2009), government

financing for social housing climbed from 1994 to 2001; however, government funding for social housing

decreased between 2001 and 2006 and consequently requested reconsideration by the federal

government. The Canadian government regards homelessness and insufficient housing as a national

emergency. As a result, homelessness in Vancouver has increased dramatically. Concerns about

Vancouver's real estate market in 2006 overshadowed the government's re-announced support for

social housing, resulting in a shortage of affordable social housing units for low-income residents.

Homelessness is a regional issue that affects all Metro Vancouver areas, from downtown

Vancouver to the suburbs and countryside. Due to high housing prices, they frequently suffer from a

range of crime-related issues, which might include dysfunctional gender-based relationships, assaults,

and other forms of violence. Out of all the victims who replied to the study, police were only alerted of

around 11% of those instances. Furthermore, 40% of occurrences were reported with just personal

injury, 24% with only property damage, and 35% with both. When polled, more than half of those polled

believed that Vancouver's police and court systems would either ignore or care about their condition.

To summarize, chronic homelessness is more prevalent in Canada than it used to be, and

durations of homelessness are becoming longer due to multiple barriers to finding long-term solutions.

Homelessness is caused by a complex blend of interrelated person hazard components and social results

such as downgrade, forbiddance, and financial effects. Homelessness is frequently the result of a

combination of components instead of a single issue.

 References

Schiff et al., (2015). Introduction to the special issue: Homelessness in Canada.

Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 37(4), 9-11.

Reid, (2005). Living on the streets in Canada: A Feminist narrative study of girls and young

women. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 28(4), 237-256.

Preston, (2009) Immigrants and Homelessness -

At risk in Canada's outer suburbs. Canadian Geographer, 53(3), 2887-304.