Did you know that in the last five years 1.3 million people have been affected by homelessness? Or that on any given night there are 65,000 homeless youth in Canada? Did you know how many homeless youth there are in Victoria?
I didn’t.
But now my eyes are open after doing more investigative interviews about Threshold Housing and the challenges so many youth face.
My recent interview with Mark Muldoon (the executive director of Threshold) was especially illuminating. He knew all the data, all the issues. His interview was so impactful to me that I thought I’d share part of it. Here is 6 minutes of raw unedited footage. He’s very engaging.
Housing is such a crucial issue. A recent research project found that when homeless people were given homes, they had more stable living conditions, committed fewer crimes and relied less on social services as compared to a control group of 200 homeless people who were not given housing. The final results found that paying for housing and support services for high-needs, homeless people cost nearly the same as leaving them on the street to rotate through shelters, emergency rooms and jails.
We need government to recognize these issues and the fact that helping our fellow man makes sense morally and financially.
HeroWork is doing its part this fall by refurbishing a 4-plex for youth. But still lots of help is needed; the issue is so big.
Be sure to share this page and spread the word.
