As Gracie Slick belted out in White Rabbit:

"Feed your head! Feed your head!"

It may hurt a touch, but if there are those who can ingest hockey stats, they should be able to understand your numbers, Mr. Watts...............

little known facts

gordo made it hard to get income assistance. The fiberals refuse to give income assistance to anyone who hasn't worked for 2 years. Even if a person can jump the road blocks AS Bob Watts says they can't collect without an address. Homeless by design I say. But what do we expect from a government who is or should be shamed by the most hungry kids in Canada. Many people say the fiberals care who they hurt

Too bloody much ...

it's all becoming too much to bare.

Having been homeless (November '05 to November '06), even though I have a bloody university degree and a wealth of professional experience, and so forth and bloody so on, this whole bloody thing is becoming so hard to observe.

It makes me weep.

It really does.

trickle down effect

A person goes from a decent place for kids to a semi-slum as a result of rental increases. Then the semi-slum landlord decides to renovate (often only a slap of paint) and evicts tenants, who then have no-where else to live and so lose thier welfare cheque due to having no fixed address. Yes, a raise in welfare rates would help, especially as Gordo cut welfare rates by almost $200 for single parents in 2002, putting many families at risk of homelessness. I am one of those hanging on the edge of the abyss. There are fewer people on welfare because fewer people have an address, entitling them to assistance.

The Time is a Call...

And, brothers and sisters, this is precisely what needs to happen, the sooner the better. The working class, its impoverished underclass and all related social strata effected by yet another monumental global failure of the capitalist greed system, need to organize and take to the streets. The raw power of masses in the streets is the only thing, in the end, that will cut through their propaganda and "economic analysis" bullshit, and bring the consequential, fearfully awesome reality of the End Time to their doorsteps.

And if the corrupted official "Trade Union Movement" won't help with its resources, then step around and over them, and leave them in the dust where it is becoming increasingly clear that they belong.

Political parties and such as trade unions, with their internal careerist and self-interest ambitions that are selling everyone out and collaborating with the business class criminals, while they may have some relative usefulness in this or that specific situation, can never in a time of serious struggle, replace the masses self-organized and self-motivated in the streets, prepared to bring a ruling class power down. History has demonstrated again and again, the important role of the ordinary masses in putting the fear of The End Time into the ruling class and thereby forcing through major and necessary societal transformation.

Without that dynamic of the masses in motion, history and a seriously flawed time languish and worsen, like an open infected wound.

And we are in such a time, where if ordinary folks themselves don't take up the cause and do it for themselves, there is no solution or one to do it for them, save where they become the cannon fodder of the system's imperialist instinct, as its historically chosen solution in re-kick starting capitalism and its class system.

They'd rather go billions, even trillions into debt, as they are already, for which the masses can later pay anyway,to finance a war, than invest in the health or other needs of their own people. They'd rather the masses impoverished, serving as a warning to all the working class, than surrender any of their own perceived rightful "profit" share.

General Strike, February 12, 2010

Didn't somebody propose a general strike?

@ realisticman

Ummmn, no rampant homelessness is not a worldwide problem.

The Scandinavian countries have a very low rate of homelessness, similar to what we had in BC 10 years ago before people were either booted off, or denied, welfare.

Quite simple really:

Scandinavian countries: good social safety net and adequate income assistance = low rates of homelessness (and much better social outcomes for everyone)

The US and BC: lousy social safety net, inadequate welfare = exponentially increasing homelessness, highest rate of child poverty, etc, etc.

The US vs Sweden as model countries? Sweden looks like the clear winner to me.

Not completely

This was before the financial crash.

"Homelessness in Sweden 2005

In total around 17,800 persons were reported homeless during Week 17 of 2005. Three-quarters of these persons are men (approximately 13,100) and a quarter are women (approximately 4,500)"

"In 2005, the homeless count in the City of Vancouver found a significant growth in the number of homeless counted region-wide, almost doubling to 2,174 from 1,121 persons in 2002. The report, which was co-ordinated by the Social Planning and Research Council of B.C."

http://www.sharedlearnings.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=News.FA_dsp_news&ym=2006-05#232
http://www.feantsa.org/files/indicators_wg/ETHOS2006/200613123.pdf.

...and after the Crash:

"The Swedish Economy - Summary August 2009

In Sweden and elsewhere, the economy is in a severe slump. There are signs that the steep downturn has ceased in other countries, and in Sweden it came to a halt in the second quarter. GDP growth in Sweden and worldwide will gradually pick up in the period ahead, partly in response to an expansionary eco-nomic policy. In Sweden the labour market is rapidly deteriorat-ing and will not stabilize until 2011, when unemployment will be almost 12 percent."

http://www.statec.public.lu/fr/biblio/periodiques/periodiques_all/s/swedish_economy/2009/index.html

Not exactly

"Nobody in Sweden should be forced to live on the streets", public health minister Maria Larsson has promised, vowing to reduce the number of evictions carried out in Sweden. The minister announced a national strategy to combat homelessness.

Larsson told a gathering of her Christian Democrat Party in Linköping that different government agencies need to work better to stop people getting locked out of the housing market.

"Everyone should be guaranteed a roof over their head, and be offered continued, coordinated help based on individual need," the minister said as she presented the homelessness strategy.

The National Board of Health and Welfare is to be asked to come up with a proposal for monitoring the success of the new strategy. A plan will be drawn up to detail how various government agencies can help achieve the new targets. The plan will be complete by June.

The strategy will cover the years 2007 to 2009, and an evaluation will be delivered in 2010.

Sadly, the pathetic excuse for a government here in British Columbia couldn't come up with something even mildly similar...Coleman and Campbell are busy finding ways to limit their 'help' to folks they decide are 'deserving'...

See this?

"An HCLU film on why there is still no needle exchange program in the city of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, while according to a recent study, the prevalence of Hepatitis C among injecting users is 85%? As it is said in the film, Sweden is always a champion of human rights when its about other countries, but not, when it comes to their drug users or sex workers.

Actions

* Send an email to Ms. Maria Larsson, Minister of Public Health in Sweden, and ask her to take the leadership in the fight for needle exchange! "

http://hub.witness.org/en/upload/heroin-user-stockholm

Homelessness in Sweden vs BC

Sweden pop 2009: 9,263,872 c. 17,800 .19%

http://www.thelocal.se/2961/20060131/

BC pop 2009: 4,419,974 c. 10,580 (2008) .24% +/-

Your mileage may vary.

$91.32 ??? Can that be right?

Hello Bob Watts,

Can you please tell me the source for your figure of $91.32 per night per mat? Sounds excessive, but what else is new.

The Real Scandinavian Lesson...

"In Sweden the labour market is rapidly deteriorating and will not stabilize until 2011, when unemployment will be almost 12 percent." from realisticman.

The propensity of NDP style "Social Democrats" for holding up the example of the Scandinavian countries as a superior form of capitalism which they offer, reminds me very much of the way the old Communist Party used to constantly extol the virtues of the old USSR. (Which is not to say there is or were not some elements of truth to their claims. on the part of both Social Democrats and Communists.)

But in the context of Swedish "social democratic" capitalism, the evidence available, which realisticman has helped demonstrate, for perhaps a somewhat more "human face" to its model of capitalism... Which is more like what we had pre-deregulation in the 80s and since. ...Swedish capitalism is still part of the trading systems, and carries on financial relations, and overall operates within the "accepted" limits of global capitalism. They, its common people, have not been left untouched by the collapse of that global capitalist system and its markets any less than we, or at least only marginally so.

Which is the characteristic nature and limitation of "Social Democratic" ideology and politics. It is, for all its assumed good intentions, still wed and tied to capitalism, and operates within the limits of that class and greed driven socio-economic system. (And if you want a small current demonstration of this reality, check out the ability and comfort with which the Conservative government in Ottawa,could as easily appoint the Social Democrat, Gary Doer, as its ambassador to Washington as one of their own.)

We are talking differences in fractions here, with Harper knowing as well as I do, that the NDP, and Social Democrats in General, save maybe for the odd misplaced Corky Evans, pose no greater threat to the underlying presumptions of capitalism than Harper does himself.

For sure,within the context of ruling class managed and manipulated capitalism, a "liberal" capitalism is preferable to the masses interest, or should be with any savvy at all, than a reactionary, quasi-fascist one. But not enough to get really excited about, especially when the global markets and financial system of capitalism seriously get into trouble or collapse, and launch a system wide attack on the standard of living share and wellbeing of the mass of the working class.

In this situation, as it continues to deteriorate for the mass of people, for sure utilize the limited usefulness of Social Democrats. But on the strategic issues of exercising power to secure one's more strategic economic and political interests, still, always rely more on yourself in joint action with your class brothers and sisters than ANY politician. And that means, very often, getting masses onto the streets, as the only available alternative, to catch the more serious attention of all the parties and classes to capitalism.

$91.32 How could it be, you ask?

Here is the governments 2008 news release to prove the figures showing a mat on the floor costs $91.32
http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2008HSD0104-001667.htm
It shows that $50 million is being spent on 1,500 shelter beds. So $50 million divided by 1,500 equals $33,333,33 per year, now divide by 365 days and that equals $91.32 per night, per mat.
Shelters have had a small raise since 2008 I believe.
Now this is fun, you must add into the costs of a shelter mat/bed a list of extra money seen and not seen. Like.
Private donations.
Volunteer hours.
City tax breaks on shelter properties.
Provincial grants for repairs, blanks, washing machines etc etc.
Federal grants.
MHSD , Welfare grants and funding.
Health Authorities, grants and funding.
Bell ringers at christmas.
Asking for money via Canada Post.
Corrections Canada, yes them too!
CMHC grants.
Grants from private corporations.
So what does a shelter mat/bed really cost? I know my figures of $91.32 is on the low side but thats OK.

Bob Watts...

"So what does a shelter mat/bed really cost? I know my figures of $91.32 is on the low side but thats OK."

Really excellent stuff, Bob Watts. A number of you here are providing the excellent factual bedrock for this discussion.

Hmmmm.....

It appears that the CBC approximately agrees with you, but perhaps not in the way that you calculate.

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/main_nowayhome_cost.html

And...

Another link I ran across while looking for something else noted that the City of Hamilton extended the funding for two of their shelters - the 20-bed Notre Dame house and the 9-bed Mary's Place by three months to provide shelter and a hot meal for each of the beds for 3 more months from April 1, 2009. By my calculations that makes $27 a night for that shelter.

http://www.myhamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/A40DD146-29F2-4EB8-A17F-A23D4983A3B0/0/Apr08Item82ECS08026bREPORTEmergShelterFundingPressure.pdf

I think we need more figures.

Bob ....

Is the $50 million actually providing shelter 365 days a year or only when really inclement weather exists?
If not your figures need adjusting waaaaay up.

Hamilton?

Zalm your talking about Hamilton’s shelter program, doing a little quick research, the city of Hamilton shares the cost of shelters with the Ontario government so the figure of Hamilton spending $27 per night is only part of the true cost of a shelter in Ontario. I’d like to stick with BC shelters and here the figures and costs are very clear.
Oh yes Hamilton was talking about using Hostels, I can confirm a Hostel bed in my town starts at $25 per night, (nice place too) (no to homeless people thank you) you know my town has a 50% vacancy rate and we still have a homeless shelter, open half the year.
Sheryl you pointed out that a number of shelters are not opened year round thus pushing up the cost per night per bed/mat, you are very correct. I bet we’ll never know the true costs involved. Its much like the Pope taking the vow of poverty, yet he lives in a mansion, plus a summer palace, has 100’s of servants, and an annual travel budget of $50 million, that’s my type of poverty. Ya Ya he shakes a lot of hands, (work?) if you say so.
Here is something to ponder about shelter costs. Over the past 3 years I’ve had the rate of a shelter costing $91.32 per mat per night or $2,700 per month, published all over Canada, and in all major BC newspapers. I’ve also spoken of these rates out load in government meetings where a number of these non-profit homeless shelter groups where in attendance. I’ve never had not even one person or group tell me I was wrong. Which leads me to believe strongly that I’m way to low on my estimates of $91.32 or $2,700 per month for a homeless shelter mat on the floor.
My point is? To keep a person in a shelter for 10 days costs a minimum of $913.20 that’s a fact! So that’s enough money to rent a suite for at least 2 people, again with the math, at least 3 suites could be rented and at least 6 people could have real housing for a month. Compared to putting one person on a mat for a month. So lets redirect funding to real homes, today! “If it makes sense, forget it”.

rent

as long as one is renting, one never has a real sense of home.
and... if welfare shelter rents rise, so will rental prices rise.
Our society is based on a Christian mentality that accepts the poor, and allows them to practice tis Christianity by leaving a packet or two of soup or kraft dinner in the foodbank box or providing soup and sandwiches and socks.
These practising Christians support inequitable wages and giant salaries, bonuses and expense accounts.
In the US these same Christians oppose universal medicare.

Carfreed....

Though I doubt it is just Christians, you are still essentially right. It's more a "feel good" thing for their own benefit. Though there is more to it than just that too, of course. Capitalism, as has all past class structured forms of society, breeds a "disconnect" between persons, citizen to citizen.

It arises out of the competitive struggle that occurs in the free market and its work places, and it has, across history, become the norm for the human condition.

Even with the societal revolution that has to occur, it is a damage that has almost come to be written into our genetic code, and it is going to be difficult to undo. Not impossible I think, but friggin' difficult.

Numbers

Give me ten statisticians and I'll give you eleven wildly differing outcomes,all sworn to on the bible.It's well known that it would be less expensive to place addicts on their drug of choice and give them rent and a living allowance than to keep them in prison.That alone tells me that there is a disconnect here that goes far beyond the outward problem.There are likely no homeless in Switzerland.This government would never give people rent and enough to live on because then everyone would want to live like a dog on welfare.I can only surmise.If you treat people with decency and respect,some of them will still rob you blind.As long as we insist people conform to our little view of the world there will never be a solution to homelessness,addiction,mental illness or poverty.People will do what they have to to survive,whatever that means to the individual.All of these problems have different solutions and they all contribute to the homeless problem.If we insist on solving them individually then there will be homelessness for the duration.I see there is enough money to show an Olympic athlete every five minutes on the TV.The TV that wants money from everyone.Poor Rich Coleman,he just can't find enough money to solve homelessness and make his cronies rich,like with those sweetheart hotel deals.

H1N1 ???

Today’s welfare cheque has a memo attached on how to prevent and fight the H1N1 FLU Virus.
So a homeless person with H1N1 is to stay home and not spread the flu??? If you are lucky enough do have a room, and you only get enough food money for about 10 days on welfare, and the other 20 days you must go to a soup kitchen line up, and share the flu with others!!!
Maybe stay home starve and die? Can I say that or will I have the Gestapo knocking at my door?
AH! The Perfect Storm.
Christians... I had 8 yrs in a Christian boy’s school. Today with my eyes wide opened I can honestly say, "The hell with Religion".
If every Christian in Canada fought to end poverty, it would end by next Monday!
Why can't we have a guaranteed basic income for all. We have the child tax credit already for kids till age 18. We have it for seniors over 65. We give out the Carbon Tax Rebate, GST rebate.
Talk about a stimulus package, and yes we can afford it. Don’t ask how! If other countries can do it, then so can we! A study in the USA reported for every $1 handed out, $1.83 came back in taxes.