Homeless What has been done to
Homeless What has been done toHomeless: What has been done to decrease the problem?
One of the largest growing concerns in Toronto is the
constantly increasing number of citizens who are finding
themselves living on the streets. With the decrease in the
number of available jobs, the population of homeless people has
literally boomed. My questions are not as simple to answer as
they may appear. Why is a large portion of our community forced
to live on the streets? What has be done to decrease the
problem? These are the questions I will confront in my essay.
With the economical wealth attributed to the name "Canada",
one would have to wonder why there is a homeless situation at
all. This problem is especially evident in Canada's wealthiest
city, Toronto. When it comes to the affairs of the people, it is
the government who should intervene. When I look at what the
government has done with regard to the homeless problem, I have
to doubt that everything is being done to eradicate it. The
United Nations implemented a universal declaration of human
rights. Article 25 Section 1 of this declaration states:
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for
the health and well being of himself and of his family, including
food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social
services, and to the right to security in the event of
unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other
lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
This is a step in the right direction. However, this is not
enough. These rights are subject to the discretion of the
government of the country who decides to obey these universal
rights. How much is "adequate"?
The government, both at the federal and municipal levels, is
currently working on new spending cuts. These cuts also include
spending on welfare, unemployment and social services that are
geared towards helping the homeless. Spending cuts can be seen
as a necessity to maintain the country economically, but the
reason for having a government in the first place is to take
care of the people. How can this be done when money is being
taken away from those services that are necessary to uphold this
obligation? Simply put, it cannot. Those obligations are
served by nonprofit organizations who depend on government
grants to maintain a standard of care for those who need the
services.
The blame cannot be...
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