Homelessness:
Individual and Structural Factors Influencing This Wicked Problem
According to recent research, homelessness affects between 150,000
and 300,000 Canadians a year (Cherner et al. 2017, 219; Gandermann
et al. 2014, 341; Piat et al. 2015, 2367). This increase in
homelessness began in the 1980s following economic changes as well
as shifts in government policy that lead to a reduction in supports
for low-income families as well as a decrease in affordable housing
available across Canada (Gaetz 2010, 21; Piat et al. 2015, 2367).
Though proving a national problem, a concrete solution for
homelessnessdoes not exist, making it a wicked problem
seemingly impossible to solve. Homelessness continues to present
itself as a multifaceted
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However, in
order to eliminate homelessness as a crisis in Canada, these
individual factors must be analyzed alongside the structural
influences that lead to homelessness. According to the literature,
structural risk factors that contribute to homelessness are:
transitioning from an institutional placement into the community,
social policies such as a lack of affordable housing and the
dismantling of national housing strategy, transferring the
responsibility from federal to provincial governments, and
discrimination (Gaetz 2010, 22; Piat et al. 2015, 2368). By
acknowledging these structural risk-factors as contributing
alongside individual factors, a social ecological viewpoint proves
effective in preventing homelessness (Piat et al., 2379). As the
literature suggests, the social ecological perspective provides a
lens for understanding homelessness in Canada as a complex social
issue that warrants a coordinated response across sectors, levels
of government, and society (Piat et al., 2380). By considering the
issue of homelessness across all levels of society, we are better
prepared to formulate a proper and effective solution towards the
national
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