We can do this
Every person has the right to a home and shelter. We are each born into a family. Even if not wealthy, our community has the obligation to ensure that as children, we are housed, fed and educated so that on leaving the education system, we are equipped with the opportunity to create and afford a home for ourselves. This is the key to our homelessness solution.
That does not necessarily mean we will always have that home, or that we cannot lose it at some time through poor choices, misfortune, health or other reasons. Even with the best of intentions, you can become homeless, whether you are a doctor, a lawyer, a housewife and mother or a kid from a poor family.
However, it does not have to be a life sentence. We have the right to change and improve our circumstances and the chance to regain our status in life. But life isn’t always easy. What can seem solid one day, can be a wasteland the next. There are lots of homeless people, many who would give anything for a chance at that homelessness solution.
As a nation and a civilisation, we have an obligation to provide that opportunity, regardless of how humble that start may seem to be. It all starts with a change of attitude, from both sides.
It’s a problem, so there’s a homelessness solution to suit
As in every disaster, there are various stages of the homelessness solution. Initially, there is crisis management, providing a shelter where a person who finds themselves homeless has a shelter to go to, where they can at least be assured of a roof over their head and a simple meal.
It could be as simple as dormitory accommodation with supervision to ensure that the facilities or the people taking shelter in it are not being abused. Every town needs provision for both male and female emergency and family unit accommodation. It could even be, as in the novel “Getting Even”, a space under an office building which is a car park by day and converts to a homeless shelter by night. There are thousands of buildings with daytime car parks that are empty spaces overnight, but with hot and cold running water and security services already in place. The homelessness solution options are almost in place now!
The second stage of the homelessness solution is taking the person or family out of the crisis situation and housing them somewhere safe, or restoring them to their own homes. This requires an understanding of why and how the crisis occurred. It could be as simple as a home destroyed by fire and the family left with nowhere to go. It may be a drug problem that took over their life. Family break-ups can put either partner on the street, but in domestic violence situations, often the mother and children need secure family accommodation.
Rehousing each individual personal situation requires an assessment and understanding of the cause. In general, there will be some typical situations and solutions.
Different Homelessness Solution Options:
- Crisis housing from disaster situations. Requires crisis accommodation followed by assistance until insurance or family can support the person or family into new accommodation and self-sufficiency.
- Mother and children, domestic violence victims. Secure crisis accommodation, with police and domestic violence support and protection from the perpetrator. Preferably rehousing, back into their home with the perpetrator removed. Access to counseling services and genuine protection from further violence.
- Homeless person, male or female, “down on their luck”. Crisis accommodation initially, counselling and support, registration for unemployment benefits and employment support to enable them to become self-sufficient and live by their own means. Shared or boarding housing or special purpose single, gender specific accommodation.
- Homeless person, mentally unstable. Immediate housing in supervised accommodation, under qualified medical supervision. This could be in hospital or other suitable secure accommodation.
- Homeless person, drug dependent. Immediate housing in drug detoxifying and rehabilitation centre for at least three months of total substance abstinence and treatment. Release into supervised accommodation for rehabilitation and daily testing for substance abuse. Ongoing social and career training for re-entry to society.
- Homeless youth. Crisis accommodation, supervised by blue card dormitory/hostel supervisors, with a coordinated counseling program between families and youth, educating all parties to enable the family unit to be healed. If that is not possible, ongoing education and support for the youth to re-enter society, housed in supervised accommodation until self-sufficiency is possible.
All these situations require a different homelessness solution and facilities for suitable outcomes to be obtained. The assumptions here are that:
- Policy changes have been made so that drugs are less readily available,
- Criminals are apprehended and sentenced to real jail terms,
- The community supports the re-entry of the people back into productive lives, and
- The homeless or disadvantaged person also desires the rehabilitation.
People ultimately have free choice of whether to accept the opportunity and
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