Scapegoat refers to one who is blamed for misfortunes, often as a way of distracting attention from the real cause.

Homeless persons were under attack by City and police on instructions from the downtown Business Improvement Areas. It is my considered contention that street persons were being scapegoated to draw attention away from our faulty marketplace.

The homeless are still being jailed and ticketed for sleeping outside, congregating in public and panhandling all of which is legal activity. It is not effective or cheaper to deal with homeless persons by ticketing and jailing them. Extensive, sound research shows that the support model of intervention on homeless costs 3/4 less than the police enforcement approach. The support model involves assessing the individuals needs and working on facilitating these needs including supported housing. This method does lead to housing stability. The enforcement approach involves, police ticketing and arresting and harassing in public places, courts, jails, hospitals and shelters for the homeless. It costs us millions of dollars a year for police, jails and courts to prosecute these unfortunate people and it does not lead to housing stability. The enforcement method in fact makes the problem worse as it causes more trauma and barriers to their stability. The inforcement method also involves redesigning public space in Ottawa so people cannot congregate outside, or sleep anywhere outside protected from the elements example removing park benches and fencing off bridges.

Following several Homeless Action Strikes and the resulting Task Force on Homelessness the city is revamping its approach to dealing with the homeless to a support model with great results.
But pressure is still coming from the BIA's and our current mayor to return to the police inforcement approach.

WHAT ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING

I am  often asked how will I increase affordable housing in order to wipe out homelessness. This is a leading question because it assumes that homelessness is caused by a lack of affordable housing and implies that  subsidized housing can resolve the problem. The problem is much deeper than this but the solutions are easier and cheaper than getting government to pursue an never ending increase in housing subsidies. The answer is to strengthen our local economy so that our citizens can make an adequate living either with self employment or employment that pays a living wage. Our city is currently revamping the way it treats the homeless based on protests by the homeless but this our city is moving in the opposite direction with regards to the economy i.e. suppressing the local economy.

I  do want us to help the people who are struggling to establish and maintain housing, which in some cases requires rent subsidy. However, in the long term it is imperative that we DEAL with the root causes of economic inequity in order to avoid a permanent dependency on government to pick up the short fall.

Their destitute lives give concrete evidence of ineffective social programs especially the child protection industry. Billions of dollars are put into the child welfare system with no accountability.

Approx. 70% of youth caught on the street without a home or income are post clients . We know virtually all those in foster care suffered great trauma. When the child reaches 16 if they cannot function in school they are driven out into the street without income from the children's aid societies and they are not entitled to welfare if they are unemployable which most are. Then they spend years on the street where they suffer additional untold trauma. foster care

We know how to treat trauma and how to appropriately deal with persons with post traumatic stress disorder. We know that supported housing programs, psychological therapy and supported employment work. And this type of approach promotes the individuals stability and self reliance which makes it therefore cost efficient.

Not everyone will recover sufficiently to become self reliant some may need to receive long term public assistance. And some are so badly hurt that they cannot not even make it off the street even with appropriate help.

BUT THESE PEOPLE ANNOY ME I OFTEN HEAR

I am not about to argue that the social behavior of every street person is appropriate. But they are a diverse group just like any other group some behave appropriately and others do not. But with the act of scapegoating all street kids are painted with the same brush and treated aggressively by the City and police.