Quote:

 

For what's believed to be the first time, the federal government has estimated how many of Canada's homeless are former soldiers — but the department that compiled the report warns the data is far from complete.

The March 2015 study by Employment and Social Development Canada estimates that 2,250 former soldiers use shelters on regular basis, about 2.7 per cent of the total homeless population that uses temporary lodging.

Justin Trudeau promises $300 million plan for veterans
Liberals pledge to re-open regional veterans affairs offices

The information in the report, released to The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, comes from a database that tracks 60 emergency shelters across the country and added veterans as an identifiable category in 2014.

"It's shocking in Canada that we would have any veteran who is homeless, but it is a sad reality," Gen. Jonathan Vance, the country's top military commander, said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

lilal

Jan 9 2016, 06:39 AM

swing

Jan 9 2016, 06:19 AM

Dream on you guys there will be no proof

IMO this type of comment is totally unnecessary. Why the continual attacks? People are entitled to their opinions. The continual Conservative/Liberal jabs and attacks are so tiresome. J.T. is in power, we don't have to like it, but the majority ruled. Harper had his faults but he was an economist, and carried us through bad economic times. In the end both men have to be commended for giving their life to public service. We don't have to agree on either men's policies, but it is what it is, for another 4 years. Beating up on one another on this forum accomplishes nothing, just creates animosity, life it too short my friends.

Well said swing! Thank you for saying how I feel about the endless political sniping.

Quote:

 

The March 2015 study by Employment and Social Development Canada estimates that 2,250 former soldiers use shelters on regular basis, about 2.7 per cent of the total homeless population that uses temporary lodging.

friendshipgal

Jan 9 2016, 12:34 PM

As for money on refugees vs. the homeless, it's a no brainer at refugees 1.2 billion over 6 years (and counting) Homeless people - 0. At least 0 if you don't count the cost of running shelters.

Quote:

 

The cost of homelessness to Canadians is estimated at $7 billion annually, according to the 2013 report The State of Homelessness in Canada. The estimate is based on the cost of reacting to homelessness instead of addressing the root causes of it and taking a proactive approach. Canada's reactionary solutions are expensive, typically involving a greater use of emergency services – law enforcement, courts and prisons, emergency healthcare, longer hospital stays, emergency shelters, etc.

Quote:

 

Last year we came across an infographic about the cost to end homelessness in the United States based on a New York Times report from 2012. We wondered whether we could do something similar for Canada. We couldn’t because we didn’t have the numbers until this week when the State of Homelessness in Canada: 2014 was published. Based on work from real estate scholar Jane Londerville and economist Marion Steele, and published by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness/Homeless Hub in conjunction with the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness this report costs out a solid path towards ending homelessness at $3.752 billion in 2015/2016 and about $44 billion over ten years.

Durgan

Jan 7 2016, 02:42 PM

Never in the history of Canada has such a generation of veterans done so much whining. The homeless vets were probably only housed properly when they joined the military, meaning they would be homeless anyway due to their walk of life. I might add booze induced mostly.

Quote:

 

Pat Stogran, who was Canada’s first veterans ombudsman, says he tried unsuccessfully for years to get the former Conservative government to recognize that homelessness among ex-soldiers was an issue.

And he says he is “gob-smacked” that it took until 2014 for the federal government to begin tracking the issue through a national data base, especially since he began urging individual shelters in 2009 to start collecting data and asking people whether they’ve had any military service.

Stogran, who had an ongoing stormy relationship with the Harper government, says the issue of homelessness and the intractable attitude of both politicians and the veterans bureaucracy was – more than anything else – the cause of his falling out with the Tories.

heatseeker

Jan 11 2016, 12:29 PM

It would be nice to see posts with links showing facts about spending on homeless people and refugees, rather than "you're always wrong" posts. This one is very interesting.

I'd like to see people posting links to bolster assertions on stuff like this. Not sure if it would reduce arguments, but it would be a lot more informative than much of what we are getting now. It is not a lot of work to do this.

Trotsky

Jan 11 2016, 01:29 AM

If there is ONE homeless person or ONE jobless person then the appropriate number of new immigrants to be imported should be ZERO until such time that the jobless and homes people have their problem solved.

You don't put out a fire by tossing gasoline on it. In the same vein you don't solve homelessness by bringing in people who need homes. Nor do you solve employment unavailability by bringing in hoards of people without jobs.

swing

Jan 12 2016, 06:36 AM

You might find this interesting Trotsky, I thought this was a joke when I read it… a chronic shortage of employees. Does this mean that none of the unemployed Canadians are applying for a job, even in Alberta.

I find this unbelievable as well but only 10 positions in Lethbridge, the remainder in Brandon Manitoba which is about 700 miles from Calgary. There would have to be a substantial financial benefit for someone to make that house hold move.