What do you think of when you imagine poverty and homelessness? Do you think of the millions of people living in third world countries? Or maybe you try not to think about it at all; you'd rather go shopping for a new cell phone or peruse over the new leather purses. While you're out shopping, you probably wouldn't even notice the amount of people that you walk by who are poverty stricken or homeless, right there in your neighborhood. Many people, to no fault of their own, are destitute. In today's economy, there are people who are experiencing going from living in a downtown condo, to pan handling in the suburbs just to get by. It's important to pay attention to the economy to help protect yourself from possible financial difficulties.
Those that are lucky enough to try playing the stock market have been keeping their eyes on gold prices. Traditionally, monetary inflation has been reflected in the price of gold. Some question the reliability of comparing changes in gold prices as an indication to the well being of the economy. Gold is still however a very widely used hedge for large institutions and companies against the devaluation in the US dollar.
As the US economy has suffered, so have many of its citizens. The ripple effect of their economic difficulties unfortunately reached Canada, causing an increase in the level of poverty faced by the nation. This only adds to the problem, which has statistically been increasing steadily for years. It is important to try and decipher what leads to and causes poverty in order to properly address and help the problem. There are a variety of new demographics being affected within Canada. Homelessness used to be seen largely as an urban problem, affecting only large cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. It is now becoming more of an issue in rural areas as well. In the past, men were seen as comprising the majority of homeless persons within Canada. This population is now represented by women and children. The number of youth being faced with poverty and other difficulties is the reason their demographic is becoming the fastest growing subgroup of the homeless population. Compliments of: Your Next Journey Psychotherapist Brantford .
One important distinction when considering the devastating situations members of Canada's population experience, is that it is not always their fault. Anyone can find themselves homeless, whether they come from a small town, or a big city home. Sometimes life deals us a hand of cards that is hard to play. Often times mental illness can be a factor in determining someone's ability to provide for themselves. It's important to feel compassionate and open towards the multitude of reasons that may contribute to someone's financial situation. Being open to understanding the position other people find themselves in helps us as a society be open to understanding ways of solving these problems.
Unfortunately, Canada does not have a national housing strategy. It does offer a program called the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (see here). In recent years, they were allocated $270 million and the government decided to set aside more funding for homelessness programs and housing. They have promised to dedicate $387.9 million per year for the next five years to our homeless population and its needs. With a strong Government plan and help from our population that is able to contribute to solving these problems, we can hopefully reverse the ever rising numbers of those in need.
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