Out
in
the
Cold
Raising Awareness of Homelessness and Poverty
Housing
is
a
basic
need
and
has
been
identified
through
international
law
as
a
basic
human
right.
A
lack
of
stable
housing
severely
impacts
a
person’s
ability
to
survive
and
be
successful
in
other
areas
of
life.
Homelessness
may
lead
to
poor
health,
unemployment
and
crime
which
translate
into
huge
costs
both
financially
and
socially
within
communities.
Homelessness
not
only
contributes
to
the
deterioration
of
an
individual’s
health
but
to
the
health
of
the
overall
community.
- Social
Services,
Region
of
Waterloo,
2004
Highlights from the Greater Toronto Area
‐
552,000
Toronto
households
have
incomes
below
the
poverty
line
‐
250,000
households
pay
more
than
30
per
cent
of
their
incomes
on
rent
‐
71,000
households
are
now
on
the
municipal
waiting
list
for
affordable
social
housing,
and
‐
31,985
homeless
individuals
(including
4,779
children)
stayed
in
a
Toronto
shelter
at
least
once
during
2002.
Toronto
Report
Card
on
Housing
and
Homelessness,
2003
-On
October
28,
1998,
Toronto
City
Council
adopted
a
call
from
the
TDRC
to
declare
homelessness
a
national
disaster
‐
Use
of
various
emergency
services
is
roughly
10
times
more
expensive
than
the
provision
of
housing
with
support
services
on
a
per
diem
basis
‐
Homelessness
has
been
growing
rapidly,
almost
six
times
faster
than
the
overall
population
growth
- Wellesley
Institute,
The
Blueprint
to
End
Homelessness
in
Toronto,
2006
Out in the Cold is a student event involving sleeping outside on campus to raise money and awareness of homelessness ... It is also a call to action for policy makers in the GTA to develop and adopt a comprehensive housing strategy
In partnership with
Benefitting
Causes of homelessness include poverty and a lack of affordable housing. Root causes of poverty include low income, unemployment or underemployment, social isolation, racism, low literacy, poor education, and many more. Addressing homelessness is effective social, health, and economic policy.
Out in the Cold
November 20, 2009
Jenna van Draanen
(647) 285-4419
jennavandraanen@gmail.com