St. Ignatius Parish volunteer on how to better assist Winnipeg's marginalized
Published in The Winnipeg Free Press on March 3, 2008
Volunteers at Immaculate Conception Drop-In Centre serve 250 of Winnipeg's most marginalized citizens each week. Again this winter insufficient social assistance, scarcity of affordable and humane housing, inadequate support of the mentally ill and addicted continued to characterize the daily existence of some of our most vulnerable citizens.
Providing affordable housing for the poor and supportive housing for our most vulnerable and at-risk makes economic sense. There are estimated to be more than 1,000 homeless people in Winnipeg and more than 150,000 nationally. Homelessness has an estimated cost of $4.5 billion to $6 billion a year to emergency shelters, health care, emergency services, criminal justice and social services (Gordon Laird 2007). By comparison the one per cent reduction in the GST is estimated to generate approximately $4.5 billion annually, money being parcelled off in small amounts to the "haves" in society.
It is a national embarrassment that despite a prosperous economy and budget surpluses, Canada remains the only G8 nation without an affordable-housing strategy. Homelessness is a demoralizing barrier to good health, to accessing services like counselling, job training and the prospect of steady employment. Ultimately, all levels of our government leadership need to recognize and act on that.
Adequate, humane shelter is a basic right and need for all citizens. Supportive housing has the potential to enable and include our most vulnerable citizens. Homelessness is an economic, civic, ethical and moral issue, which can be remedied with appropriate political/social collaboration, comprehensive planning and adequate funding. Please work together now to serve and include the most vulnerable among us.
RUTH CHIPMAN
Co-ordinator, Ignatian Lay Volunteers
St. Ignatius Church
Winnipeg
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