Overview
A) Introduction to Homelessness
B) Historical and Structural Issues
C) Poverty
D) Health (Physical & Mental Health)
E) Rural Homelessness
F) Family Homelessness
G) Homelessness and the Criminal Justice System
H) Oppressions and Isms Affecting Homelessness
I) Political Action
This curriculum is designed to
assist the instructor by providing an outline of a lesson plan through
provision of an objective, suggested readings, speakers, classroom
activities, assignments and general information about the topic.
Each unit can be delivered
independently or can be presented as a complete package. Units can also
be used in any combination to highlight specific areas or topics.
If you decide to teach all of
the modules you will notice some duplication in terms of suggested
readings, speakers or films. The issues surrounding homelessness are
interconnected, so it is only natural that there is overlap. Some
instructors may only teach one or two of the modules therefore this
duplication ensures that everyone has access to the best resources for
that particular topic.
Several activities and
assignments are suggested within each module. Instructors may choose to
select one or several depending upon the timeframe available to them,
interest level of the class and personal knowledge base.
In most sections there is a
lengthy reading list. You may decide to assign students only one or two
readings, or even just the highlights from one of them. The other
readings, however, may be useful in providing background for you as the
instructor.
If planning to deliver all or
many of the modules, an interesting assignment is to have students
create a journal that combines analysis of the readings with personal
reflection on the experiences of the class. Many students will have
experienced some form of homelessness or poverty in their life, and this
is a great way for them to deal with the emotions that come up.
When looking for additional
background information there are several useful sources.
-
To get contact information for any community-based service in Toronto
simply dial 211 and you will be connected with an operator who can
provide this information, or go to
www.211toronto.ca on the web.
-
Most towns have a similar information service that can connect you
with people working on homeless issues in your town. Look for staff at
homeless shelters, abused women’s shelters, outreach and drop-in
centres, meal programs, and community health centres.
-
Staff may also be able to connect you with a homeless or formerly
homeless person who participates in community speaking engagements.
This is a sensitive area, and you must be careful in setting it up. Be
sure to pay an honorarium in recognition of the individual’s time.
-
Depending upon where you live you may even find a friendly municipal
politician, Member of Parliament or Member of Provincial Parliament.
-
Tip! Make sure you
talk to the potential speaker before inviting them to attend. Find out
where they stand on the issues, their point of view on homelessness,
and even their speaking ability!
Useful websites include:
Toronto Disaster Relief
Committee -
www.tdrc.net
Housing Again -
www.housingagain.web.ca
Income Security Advocacy Centre
-
www.incomesecurity.org
Ontario Coalition for Social
Justice –
www.ocsj.ca
Ontario Coalition Against
Poverty - www.ocap.ca
Daily Bread Food Bank -
http://www.dailybread.ca/
Homelessness Action Group -
http://www.homelessness.on.ca/
Advocacy
Centre for Tenants Ontario -
http://www.acto.ca/
Canadian Housing and Renewal
Association -
http://www.chra-achru.ca/
The Centre for Equality
Rights in Accommodation -
http://www.equalityrights.org/cera/
Raising the Roof –
www.raisingtheroof.org
Homeless Research Virtual
Library -
http://www.hvl.ihpr.ubc.ca/
Ontario Non-Profit Housing
Association -
http://www.onpha.on.ca/
Shared Learnings on
Homelessness -
http://www.sharedlearnings.org/
Co-Op Housing Federation of
Canada –
http://www.chfc.ca
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Objective:
- To provide students with a
basic understanding and overview of homelessness, and the underlying
issues that impact upon it, to address common myths and stereotypes,
and to understand the continuum of homelessness.
Suggested Readings:
·
“Homelessness in Canada, Question and Answer”,
Raising the Roof, by J. David Hulchanski.
http://www.raisingtheroof.org/lrn-home-QandA-index.cfm
- NAPO’s Myths on
Homelessness
- General Fact Sheet on
Homelessness – Raising the Roof -
http://www.raisingtheroof.org/pdf/GeneralWelfare.pdf
- Gimme Shelter!
Homelessness and Canada’s Social Housing Crisis, N. Falvo,
2003 (29 pages);
- Chapter 1, pages 9-21 “Today’s
Urban Homeless” from On the Street – How We Created
Homelessness - Barbara Murphy;
- “From Street to Stability:
A Compilation of Findings on the Paths to Homelessness and Its
Prevention”, Final Report, June 2001,
Raising the Roof -
http://www.raisingtheroof.org/pdf/street2stability.pdf;
- Chapter 1, Introduction:
Finding Room in the Housing System for
All Canadians
by J. David Hulchanski and Michael Shapcott, in Finding Room:
Options for a Canadian Rental Housing Strategy (eds. Hulchanski
and Shapcott);
- Chapter 14, Housing by
Michael Shapcott, in Social Determinants of Health, edited by
Dr. Dennis Raphael, July 2004.
Background Information:
Homelessness is a growing
concern in communities across Canada, both large and small. The number
of people without homes is very difficult to determine, but is at least
250,000 people a year across the country. In Toronto, over 30,000 people
are homeless every year. Additionally, a huge number of people are under
housed or at risk for homelessness because of abusive living situations,
financial insecurity, immigration or refugee status, disability or
health status and many other factors.
In urban centres homelessness is
often very visible. Everyday people are seen sleeping on the sidewalks,
huddled up on a park bench or panhandling for spare change from
passers-by. Many more people live in shelters or motels, trying to
survive from day-to-day.
In rural communities,
homelessness tends to be more hidden, but is equally pervasive.
Individuals stay with friends until they wear out their welcome, and
lacking access to a local shelter may make their way to the nearest
city.
According to Partners in Time, a
research and consulting firm, male homelessness can be divided into
three stages. During the first stage (which affects 70% of men),
homelessness is generally short-term and last up to six weeks with the
average shelter stay being two days. These men are able to extricate
themselves from their situation with minimal supports and help from
shelter workers.
The second stage, which affects
24% of homeless men, are those who stay in shelters generally from six
weeks to one year. They need support to get them through the crisis they
are dealing with, and to get stabilized into housing.
The remaining 6% of men are
chronically homeless, and have generally destabilized to a point that
makes it difficult for them to ever be housed without a large amount of
support. This group consumes a significant percentage of homeless
resources.
The experience of youth and
women (especially with children) varies from the experiences of men, but
research hasn’t been done that would make that comparison. Anecdotal
information suggests that women tend to stay at home longer; especially
if they have children, and therefore are often in Stage 2 by the time
they actually become homeless having already exhausted any possible
resources.
General Information:
Students will often ask at this
stage about the issue of panhandlers, or express discomfort with the
fact that they often get asked for money on the street. Tell them “It is
your right to choose whether or not to give money to any individual.
What most homeless people appreciate however is to be acknowledged. Look
them in the eye and say ‘sorry not today’. So many people just ignore
them, or worse, so they usually appreciate that little bit of human
interaction.” This kind of message seems to have a significant impact
on students, and many will try to implement it right away.
Speakers:
Much of this session can be done without any outside speakers; however,
if one is desired than the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee has a
Speaker’s Bureau that would be able to assist. If you’re outside of
Toronto you can find a similar speaker through a local shelter. See the
Overview section for more information.
Classroom Activities:
1) Who are the Homeless and
Why?
Have students brainstorm
(individually, in pairs or as a class) a list of words that they think
describe homeless people in general. Tell them to feel free to bring up
things that they don’t believe to be true necessarily but words that
they have heard in the media, from family and friends or just generally
in society.
This generally takes some
prompting as the list will start out with niceties, and it takes some
work to create a freedom to express stereotypes.
This list can be used in a few
ways.
a)
If you as a teacher feel that you have a good understanding of
the issue you can highlight some of the comments and refute them.
b)
You can keep this list and refer back to it over the course of
the lessons and have students help determine what the accuracy of each
statement is.
c)
See the second entry under Student Assignments for another idea.
2) Video – Shelter From the
Storm
This award-winning film by
Michael Connolly highlights the experience of the (eventually) over 100
people living at Tent City in Toronto. It also showcases the efforts of
the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, and other activists, to get Tent
City residents housed.
The video is about an hour in
length and provides an up-close and personal look into the lives and
experiences of homeless people living in Toronto.
Allow at least 15 minutes for
debriefing following the video, as it can stir the emotions of students.
3) Continuum of Homelessness
a) Draw the following on the
board:
Absolute Homelessness
ß---à
Concealed Homelessness
ß---à
At Risk For Homelessness
b) Read/circulate the following
descriptions:
- Absolute Homelessness:
someone who does not have access to their own safe and affordable
housing.
- Concealed Homelessness:
people who do not have their own safe and affordable housing, but are
not seen by most people as being homeless.
- At Risk for Homelessness:
people who are housed but are at extreme risk of becoming homeless at
any given point.
c) Ask students to think of
types of people who would fit into each category.
Answers may vary (and cross into
more than one category) but could include:
- Absolute Homelessness:
people living on the streets, in cars, in tents, in shelters.
- Concealed Homelessness:
children in foster care, people in jail or other institutions, people
doubling up with friends and family.
- At Risk for Homelessness:
children in foster care, people in jail or other institutions, people
living in abusive situations, people paying more than 30% of their
income on rent, people who are unemployed, underemployed or on social
assistance, refugees.
4) Homeless Tour
This is a great chance to learn
and observe more about homelessness than can ever be taught in a
classroom. Encourage students to bring sandwiches, drinks, fruit,
granola bars etc. and go on a walking tour. During the winter warm
blankets, socks, mitts/gloves, hats and scarves are also most welcome.
There are agencies that are
willing to assist with this or you can develop your own walk. Contact a
local homeless agency in your town and see if they would be willing to
allow you to have a tour, or if they could provide you with information
on the best places to go to serve food to people living outside.
Toronto tour - Suggested
sites to visit:
Holy Trinity Church
– beside the Eaton Centre: Site of the Homeless Memorial; a listing of
well over 300 names of men, women and children who have lived and died
on the streets of Toronto as a direct result of homelessness.
Toronto City Hall
– 100 Queen Street West: This is especially poignant for a late
afternoon/evening tour when many homeless people are setting up camp for
the night outside the front doors of City Hall.
St. Michael’s Hospital
– Queen and Victoria: St. Michael’s is the home to the Rotary Welcome
Centre which assists homeless people who are patients in the emergency
room. Also the site of Inner City Health project.
Shuter and Jarvis:
From here you can see the Moss Park Armouries which housing activists
would like to turn into affordable housing. On the southwest corner is
Harbour Lights, an addiction treatment facility. On the northwest corner
is a Homes First building, next to that is the Good Neighbour’s Club for
homeless and under housed men, and next to that at 178 Jarvis is
Hazelburn Co-op which is a federal co-op with mixed income housing.
St. Lawrence Market area:
located south on Jarvis, just below Front Street is the St. Lawrence
community. This neighbourhood includes social housing, co-ops, market
rent apartments and condominiums. It is an example of how to create a
mixed housing community that doesn’t isolate those living in affordable
housing.
Student Assignments:
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Objective:
- To provide students with an
understanding of the government policy issues that led to the crisis
of homelessness in Canada. To explore the “homeless-making process”
and how current decisions of the government perpetuate the cycle of
poverty and houselessness.
Suggested Readings:
- Chapter 1, Introduction:
Finding Room in the Housing System for
All Canadians
by J. David Hulchanski and Michael Shapcott, in Finding Room:
Options for a Canadian Rental Housing Strategy (eds. Hulchanski
and Shapcott);
- Chapter 14, Housing by
Michael Shapcott, in Social Determinants of Health, edited by
Dr. Dennis Raphael, July 2004;
- Chapter 1, pages 9-21
“Today’s Urban Homeless” from On the Street – How We Created
Homelessness - Barbara Murphy;
- Did
the Weather Cause Canada’s Mass Homelessness? Homeless-Making
Processes and Canada’s Homeless-Makers. Discussion Paper. David
Hulchanski, TDRC Research Department, March 2000.
Speakers:
This is a topic that requires
someone with an intensive knowledge of homelessness and government
policy issues. One of the best speakers on this topic is Michael
Shapcott, Chair of the National Housing and Homelessness Network.
Another option, depending upon location would be a politician with an
understanding of the history of the impact of the cuts.
Classroom activities:
- Using the "homeless-makers"
worksheet from Dr. David Hulchanski, pick a sector (such as "housing"
or "employment" and work through the three categories
("homeless-making processes", "Pressures Towards Homelessness", and
"Homeless-Makers"). Explain the connections between the processes,
pressures and homeless-makers, then list some solutions to the
specific homeless-making processes that you have identified. For
instance, increasing welfare rates is one way to deal with the
problems of homelessness caused by inadequate welfare payments. (this
is also listed as a possible assignment).
Student Assignments:
·
Journal
reflection – Analysis of the readings and personal response.
- Write an essay on one of the
issues that led to the increase in homelessness in Canada. What could
the government have done differently? What should they do now to fix
the problem?
- Using the "homeless-makers"
worksheet from Dr. David Hulchanski, pick a sector (such as "housing"
or "employment" and work through the three categories
("homeless-making processes", "Pressures Towards Homelessness", and
"Homeless-Makers"). Explain the connections between the processes,
pressures and homeless-makers, then list some solutions to the
specific homeless-making processes that you have identified. For
instance, increasing welfare rates is one way to deal with the
problems of homelessness caused by inadequate welfare payments.
Back to top
Objective:
To help students understand the
ways in which poverty contributes to the issue of homeless. A look at
some of the key forms of income – Employment Insurance, Ontario Works
and Ontario Disability Support Program, as well as the issue of minimum
wage and the working poor.
Suggested readings:
- Research letter: “Income
and spending patterns among panhandlers” by Rohit Bose, Stephen W.
Hwang in Canadian Medical Association Journal, Sept 3rd
2002; 170 (8), pages 477-479;
- Myth Busting Fact Sheet 1:
Welfare Fraud from Income Security Advocacy Centre;
- Fact Sheet: Minimum Wage
from Income Security Advocacy Centre;
- Two Fact Sheets from Pay The
Rent and Feed the Kids campaign – “Welfare: Myth and Reality”, and
“General Fact Sheet”;
- Research Bulletin #4 – How
much difference would the NCBS (National Child Benefit Supplement)
“clawback” make to food bank families?, Daily Bread Food Bank,
August 31st 2004.
http://www.dailybread.ca/media/publications/Research%20Bulletin%204.pdf;
- “Somewhere to Live or
Something to Eat: Housing Issues of Food Bank Clients in the GTA”,
Daily Bread Food Bank, August 2004,
http://www.dailybread.ca/media/publications/Food%20Bank%20Housing%20Report.pdf;
- Where's Home 2004: A
Picture of Housing Needs in Ontario,
Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association and Co-operative Housing
Federation of Canada – Ontario Region;
- CMHC 2004 national numbers;
·
CMHC 2004 Rental Market Surveys - Ontario and Northern
Ontario.
Background Information:
The 2001 census from Statistics
Canada shows that the average income for all tenant households in the
province is $40,132. Most economists say that households should pay no
more than 30% of their income on rent. That means that the average
renter household in Ontario can afford to pay no more than $1,000 in
rent.
However, averages can be
deceiving. A few very high-income households can drag the average
incomes higher. Therefore, it is important to move beyond averages and
look at actual incomes. Statistics Canada has reported that in 1999,
two-thirds of the province's 1.8 million renter households had annual
incomes less than $31,000. That leaves them with $775 each month to pay
rent.
The poorest one-third of Ontario
renter households - more than 590,000 households - had an annual income
of less than $17,000 annually. Based on the 30% calculation, these
households could afford only $425 monthly.
Another group of poor households
are the working poor - households where the income comes from
minimum-wage jobs. The general minimum wage in Ontario (as of February
of 2005) is $7.45 per hour. A worker with a full-time job would earn
slightly more than $15,000 annually. They could afford a monthly rent of
$375. The student minimum age is $6.95, which leaves them with an annual
income of $14,500. Students can afford a monthly rent of $360.
It is important to compare the
amount of money that low, moderate and average-income households and the
working poor can afford to pay for monthly rent with the rents that most
landlords are charging in Ontario. Average rents in Ontario vary
throughout the province, with the overall provincial average rent of
$846 and a high of $1,052 in Toronto.
High rents relative to actual
incomes means that more of the household's money is going to shelter,
and less is available for food, energy, transportation, clothing and
other necessities. There are food banks in almost every part of the
province as poor households are forced to spend all or most of their
monthly income on shelter. Other charities – such as Share the Warmth -
were set up to help low-income households with the increasing expensive
cost of gas and electricity. Some households make up the difference
between their income and the cost of rent by doubling up (two or more
families in a small apartment).
General Information:
This is a good time to talk
about welfare fraud. The Income Security Advocacy Centre has some great
readings that examine this issue in greater depth. Compare the rate of
welfare and corporate fraud. Help students understand just what
constitutes fraud – a mom helping her grandchildren by giving them
clothing every season, or parents providing Sunday night dinner to their
son who is on welfare. Do students think this is fair? Would they commit
or help someone else commit “fraud” if it meant the difference between
starving and being homeless, and staying housed and fed?
Speakers:
Across the province campaigns
are being organized about the claw back of the National Child Benefit. A
speaker from one of these organizations would be an interesting addition
to the class and would show the link between income and increased risk
of homelessness.
Classroom activities:
1) Student panhandling
Send a few students out to
panhandle for 15 or 20 minutes. This is best done in groups of three.
One student should have a cell phone (with your number), and stand a
short distance away to observe the other two.
Have the three people (or
groups) report back to the class. What did they do (i.e. Where did they
sit, did they have a sign, what did they say?) How much money did they
make? Who gave it to them? What comments were made to them? What did the
observer notice about reactions of passers-by?
2) Panhandling article
This is a good article to
provoke some discussion. With college aged students there are likely to
be a number who smoke cigarettes and who drink (likely some who use
other substances but depending on your class may or may not be willing
to admit to that). Is that their right? Have a discussion on the rights
of an individual to choose what they spend their money on. Would they
like to be told how to spend their money - for those who receive
grants/loans from OSAP, bursaries, or even money from their parents, do
they have to account for it?
3) Poverty Game
a) There are different types of
poverty games. This one is called the Low Income Survival Exercise
and comes from Life*Spin in London, ON. Minor changes have been made as
outlined below.
http://www.execulink.com/~life/programs/mediation/income.html
It’s important to try to make
the case scenarios relevant to both your community, and the lessons to
date. If you’ve talked about abused women for example, you could make
one of the stories about a woman who was abused who fled her home and is
now starting over. You should also look up and insert the costs for your
community with regard to rent, bus passes, utilities etc.
The rent is particularly
important. Look up average rents in your community either through CMHC
or even just by looking at apartment listings.
Break students into pairs and
give each pair one of the three scenarios. If time is short for
discussion give everyone the same scenario.
b) Step One Instructions:
Read over the scenario. Pay attention to the specific costs/expenses
outlined.
Case One:
- Sole-support mother with one
child, a boy aged 7.
- Her rent is $800.00 per month
for a two-bedroom apartment. The apartment is in an area of the city
that isn’t close to stores (she had little choice because this is
where the lowest rents are) so she has to pay for bus fare to the
store and back.
- Her heat is included but she
has to pay her own hydro, which is $55 per month.
- She attended college some
time ago and is now required to pay back $155 per month towards her
student loans.
- The family has a dog that
needs a $350 operation. This dog has been with them since the child
was born.
- The child is expressing an
interest in sports and the school has advised that he must have
non-marking shoes, which cost $55.
The following is provided for
information, don’t worry about calculating this for the moment.
- The mother receives $200 in
child support from the boy’s father but this is deducted dollar for
dollar.
- Recently social assistance
discovered that an administrative error had produced an overpayment to
her for $4000 and she is required to pay this back through an automatic
5% claw back from each monthly cheque.
Case Two:
- Sole support father with two
children, a girl age 6 and a boy age 9.
- He was attending a Computer
Programming Course at college but was forced to drop out in his third
year when Ontario Works was implemented and he was told that OW
participants are only allowed to attend school up to grade 12. He owes
$13,000 in student loans and is required to pay back $140 per month.
- The six year old is lactose
intolerant and the 9 year old is diagnosed with a learning disability,
and attends school 14 kilometres from their home.
- They have one cat
and a hamster.
- The rent is $840 per month
plus heat and hydro for a two-bedroom unit.
- The father takes one night
class a week for three hours and has to pay a babysitter $4/hour for
the course time plus one hour of travel time.
- He also has to perform 70
hours a month in workfare placement and is provided half the cost of a
$98.75 bus pass each month in order to get to his placement.
Case Three:
- Two parent family with three
children ages 7, 10 and 13. The mother was employed part time as a
bank teller to supplement family income but was recently laid off due
to corporate downsizing (she was allowed to keep a percentage of her
earnings through the STEP program which amounted to an extra $150 per
month but this is now gone). She didn’t qualify for Employment
Insurance.
- The rent for a three-bedroom
town house s $1055 per month. In the winter they pay $100 per month
for heat, hydro is $60 per month year-round. They drive an old car
that costs about $30 per week to run.
- Recently, the husband was
told that he needed to have dental work to remove his molars, which
are abscessed, and have them replaces with dentures. He can get
emergency dental coverage through Ontario Works for two teeth but only
for the “relief of pain”. He can get half the cost of dentures covered
through special assistance at the city but will have to find $1200 to
make up the difference for the best estimate he has been able to get
from a dentist (for the extraction and dentures).
- The husband has other health
problems, severe asthma and arthritis, which exempts him from the
mandatory job search that all welfare recipients perform. He applied
for a disability allowance, which would mean more money for the family
but was turned down. The decision is presently under appeal to the
Social Benefits Tribunal.
- The children, all boys, are
interested in sports and it’s a constant battle to provide them with
proper footwear, as they go through running shoes at a fast rate.
c) Step Two Instructions:
Complete an estimated budget for the family based on information
provided, your own experiences and/or best guesses.
A sample budget chart can be found
here.
d) Step Three Instructions:
Have each pair report back the
total of their monthly budget. Write this on the board (all Case Ones
together, all Case Twos etc.).
If different case studies were
assigned have one person from each of the case scenarios read their case
aloud.
Now, using
Schedule C tables
calculate how much each family would have received from Ontario Works
and compare the results.
e) Calculation Results:
available here.
f) Discussion:
- How do the students’ results
compare? Was anyone close (in most cases they are not)?
- Ask pointed questions about
some of the scenario issues.
- Did anyone in Case One kill
the dog?
- In Case Two who gave away
the cat or hamster (or even fed the hamster to the cat?)
- Did the father get dentures
in Case Three?
- Go through some of the areas
of the budget and discuss them; what was allocated, what value the
students put on each of the items etc. For example:
- Did they budget for a
telephone? Is it an essential if you have kids and/or if you’re
looking for work?
- Did they budget for
insurance? (Many people on welfare don’t pay for insurance and so
are hard hit by a tragedy like a fire).
- Non-prescription medication
(Many times parents will ensure that their children have medication
but will go without for themselves).
- Under “Food” it is helpful
to calculate the rates for the Nutritious Food Basket developed by
some public health departments. If the rate shows as a weekly rate
multiply by 4.33 to calculate the monthly rate. Did the students
budget enough to properly feed the family? In Toronto, the current
rates for these scenarios (assuming parents are 25-49) are:
- Case One: $50.28/week x
4.33 = $217.71 monthly cost
- Case Two: $80.05/week x
4.33 = $346.62 monthly cost
- Case Three: $150.93/week
x 4.33 = $653.53 monthly cost
- Please note:
Public Health in Toronto uses a more complicated formula to
determine actual costs because the per person cost of feeding a
smaller group of people is actually higher than feeding a larger
group. You can choose whether or not to incorporate this extra step.
-
http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/health/pdf/nutritious_food_basket.pdf
provides information on the Toronto basket.
- Given that the majority of
students will be over budget, discuss what they would take away. If
they are $500 over, for example, can they come up with $500 in cuts?
Student Assignments:
- Journal reflection – Analysis
of the readings and personal response.
- Have students review their
own monthly budget. How do their expenses compare to what they would
have available to them on social assistance? What would they choose to
give up? Have them ask friends and family about this as well. What do
others determine to be the priorities in their expense spending; what
is necessary and what is a frill?
- Compare the income that a
household would receive from welfare or minimum wage with the costs of
shelter in the annual rental market survey from Canada Mortgage and
Housing Corporation.
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Objective:
To create an understanding for students of the links between physical
health and/or mental health and homelessness, both as a causative and
resulting factor. To draw attention to epidemics prevalent in shelters
including TB, bed bugs and influenza. To discuss the benefits of harm
reduction programs including wet shelters and needle exchange programs.
To examine the issue of deaths within the homeless population.
Background Information:
Health, both physical and
mental, is an important issue to explore when looking at the topic of
homelessness. It is extremely difficult to stay healthy while homeless.
Conditions in many shelters, especially in large urban areas, do not
meet the United Nations standards for refugee camps. The cramped, shared
living space has led to outbreaks of influenza, tuberculosis, and bed
bugs in Toronto shelters.
Many people believe that mental
illness causes homelessness, however studies have shown this to be true
in only 3% of cases. While many people on the streets may have a mental
illness of some kind, it is not the causative factor in most cases. What
is known however is that life on the streets is very difficult and tends
to exacerbate any underlying mental health issues, therefore bringing
them to light. Additionally, being homeless often causes symptoms of
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals. As a result, this
PTSD makes it difficult for someone to find housing or employment for
himself or herself.
Research by Dr. Hwang found
that in Toronto there are an average of 2-4 deaths a week amongst the
homeless population. The Toronto Disaster Relief Committee and the
Church of the Holy Trinity maintain a memorial in honour of all those
who have lived on the streets of Toronto and died as a direct result of
homelessness. It has well over 300 names on it, and more are added on a
monthly basis.
Suggested readings:
- “Vancouver’s ‘vision of
hell’ requires special type of MD” by
Deborah Jones, in Canadian Medical Association Journal, July 28, 1998;
159 (2), pages 169-172;
- Research Bulletin 15, June
2003. “Housing as a Socio-Economic Determinant of Health: Assessing
Research Needs”, by James R. Dunn, pages 1-6.
http://www.urbancentre.utoronto.ca/pdfs/researchbulletins/15.pdf;
- Research Bulletin 24, October
2004. “The Health of Canadians on Welfare”, by Nicholas T.
Vozoris and Valerie S. Tarasuk, pages 1-7.
http://www.urbancentre.utoronto.ca/pdfs/researchbulletins/CUCS_RB_24_Vozoris_Tarasu.pdf;
- Chapter 6, pages 78-89 “The
Homeless: The Poorest of the Poor” from On the Street – How We
Created Homelessness - Barbara Murphy;
- Chapter 5, page 111-120 “A
Prescription for Poor Health” from Homeless: Policies, strategies
and lives on the street – Gerald Daly;
- Research Bulletin #4 – How
much difference would the NCBS (National Child Benefit Supplement)
“clawback” make to food bank families?, Daily Bread Food Bank,
August 31st 2004.
http://www.dailybread.ca/media/publications/Research%20Bulletin%204.pdf;
- “Somewhere to Live or
Something to Eat: Housing Issues of Food Bank Clients in the GTA”,
Daily Bread Food Bank, August 2004,
http://www.dailybread.ca/media/publications/Food%20Bank%20Housing%20Report.pdf;
- “Mortality
Among Men Using Homeless Shelters in Toronto, Ontario”,
Stephen W.
Hwang,
MD, MPH, JAMA. 2000; 283: 2152-2157.
Speakers
a) In Toronto and area: The
Dream Team –
www.thedreamteam.ca - The Dream Team is a
coalition of psychiatric consumers and other users of supportive
housing, their family members, and representatives of the Boards for
Mental Health Housing Services who demonstrate the life-altering
benefits of supportive housing for people living with mental illness by
telling their personal stories.
To make a booking for a Dream Team presentation or
workshop, call the Dream Team office.
Hours: Monday - Thursday 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Tel.
416-929-1919, Fax. 416-504-0239, Email:
info@thedreamteam.ca
Donations to the members who speak are encouraged.
b) Street Nurses or Parish Nurses – Street nurses are
health professionals who provide direct service to homeless people;
either though outreach or a community health centre. In some
communities, this person may be known as a Parish Nurse and be connected
with a church organization as well.
c) Needle Exchange Program – Your public health
department or AIDS service organization likely has a needle exchange
program of some sort. Have them come and talk about the implications of
such a program, and how it can work to help people who are homeless.
d) Seaton House– In the Toronto area, arrange for a
speaker from Seaton House’s Annex program to come and talk about the wet
shelter and infirmary programs. If possible, arrange for a class tour of
Seaton House so students can see the programs in action.
Classroom Activities
1) Film:
“Street Nurse” - A powerful point-of-view documentary that
explores the streets of Toronto through the eyes of Cathy Crowe, a woman
who calls herself a “street nurse” because her patients live there.
Directed, written and produced by Shelley Saywell.
2)
Film: “The Dream Team” – approx. 15 minutes - This is a
short film that highlights the work of the Dream Team. It captures
members’ own experiences as well as the advocacy/lobby work of the team.
Contact the Dream Team to obtain a copy.
3) Naming the Deaths:
If your town doesn’t maintain a list of names of homeless people who
have died on the streets, obtain a copy of the Toronto list from the
TDRC office
tdrc@tdrc.net . Have students stand in a circle and read the names
by passing the list from one to another (have them read all the names
for one year, or one column depending upon numbers). Have a minute of
silence at the beginning and/or end for “all these names and all others
unknown”. Hold a discussion afterwards that examines the increase in
names in the mid-90s after housing was cancelled and welfare rates
increased; explore the link between policy and results.
If in Toronto, students could
also attend one of the monthly homeless memorial vigils. These are held
on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, at 12noon at the Church of
the Holy Trinity (10 Trinity Square, beside the Eaton Centre).
4) Harm Reduction:
Have a debate/discussion amongst the students themselves about harm
reduction.
a) Ask students to give their
definition of homelessness. Especially if the discussions in class or
readings look at needle exchange and wet shelters the definitions will
probably focus on that area. Possible answers will likely include:
"Providing education and support to help people with their addiction",
"Meeting people where they are at", "Preventing harm caused by
addictions".
b) Then ask students for some
other types of harm reduction programs (not including those in
shelters). If they can't come up with a list you may want to make a
couple of suggestions to start them off. Traffic laws (i.e. speeding,
red light cameras, photo radar, RIDE programs, drunk driving
prohibitions, seat belts, and child safety seats) are a large area of
harm reduction methods that few people think about because they are so
ingrained in our culture. Others include helmets (motorcycle, bicycle,
and hockey), condoms for safer sex, and smoking by-laws re: second hand
smoke.
Ask students if
they think a wet shelter is a good idea? Should we have
needle exchange programs? Ask the students to divide themselves up
according to those who support, those who are opposed and those who are
neutral (but encourage them to pick a side). Let them each state their
opinion, starting with the no side and moving to the yes side of the
room. Indicate before the debate starts that each side/person is
entitled to their own opinion and while persuasive arguments are
welcomed there must also be respect.
Student assignments:
- Journal reflection – Analysis
of the readings and personal response.
- A key reason why many
households have so much trouble finding or maintaining affordable
housing is income. They simply don't have enough money to afford to
pay the rents. But some people face special challenges - physical or
mental health issues that make it harder for people to find a place to
call home. Identify two or three health issues that would prevent a
person from getting or maintaining housing, then offer some
suggestions on the type of housing that might meet their special
needs.
- There are many "supportive"
housing projects throughout Ontario. Find out about supportive housing
in your community by contacting your municipal housing department.
Describe the project, its goals and its programs and how the housing
project meets the special needs of its tenants.
- If there are no supportive
housing projects in your community, then check these out: The biggest
supportive housing landlord in Canada is called Mainstay Housing and
has a Web site at http://www.supportivehousing.ca. Another project in
Toronto is called George Herman House and has its own Web site at
http://www.georgehermanhouse.ca. Using the resources on the Web,
describe how a supportive housing project meets the special needs of
its tenants.
-
- Divide students into groups to do research on
harm reduction and have them come to class prepared to debate the
issue.
Back to top
Objective:
To help students understand the
differences between rural homelessness and urban homelessness. Are there
issues particular to people living in small communities? How do services
differ in smaller communities?
Suggested readings:
- “Homelessness, northern
style”, National Post, by Ed Picco, Dec 3rd 2004;
- “Hard to Reach: Rural
Homelessness and Health” from
Healing Hands;
- “Rural Homelessness”,
NCH Fact Sheet #13, Published by the National Coalition for the
Homeless, March 1999;
- “Rural Homelessness: The
Problem”, Information sheet from the Housing Assistance Council.
- Aboriginal Homelessness,
Shannon Boneschansker, Ryerson University, December 2004.
Speakers:
- The Homeless Maze from
Cornerstone Community Association in Oshawa, ON.
http://www.homelessmaze.com/
“The Homeless Maze is an award-winning
interactive event. It is a unique and powerful education tool that
helps dispel the myths and stereotyping surrounding homelessness. The
maze is a community economic initiative designed to create employment.
Through various sponsors and event hosts, income is generated for the
individual role players, allowing them to move from basic survival to
eventually living as full community members. We believe in doing this
we will begin to see a change in the way society views those who are
homeless, including the homeless themselves.”
- Shelter workers from smaller
communities. Have them talk about the needs of their shelter and the
issues of working in a smaller community.
Classroom activities:
Group
Presentations (see Student Assignments).
Student Assignments:
·
Journal reflection – Analysis of the
readings and personal response.
·
Group Presentation:
1.
Students will work as part of an interdisciplinary team to
research homelessness in three areas of the world. Groups will select
names of the areas from a list developed by the instructor.
2.
Each group will prepare a 10-15 minute presentation in order to
share the knowledge they have gathered with the rest of the class.
3.
Each group should hand in one copy of a summary of the
information gathered that answers the following questions:
a.
Is homelessness a problem in this area? If yes, how so and if no,
why not?
b.
Are there services available for homeless people? What types?
c.
What issues, related to homelessness, exist in this area (i.e.
poverty, high rental costs, minimum wage, unemployment)?
4.
Each individual member of the group will submit an evaluation of
group members’ participation, and their own experience of group process.
Suggested cities (alter these
as you desire. It’s good to reflect on current events in terms of local
or international disasters that may have affected housing availability):