Homelessness for any age group is something that almost every country has to deal with. Youth homelessness in Canada is a problem that has to be dealt with and can only be done effectively if a policy and practice to address the problem is put in place.
There are many components that contribute to the youth homelessness.
The Reasons
Understanding what is driving the youth into this situation in the first place is the starting point for being able to develop policy and practice. Common causes are poverty within the home, It gets to the point where the young person leaves themselves or the family asks them to because they cannot afford to support them.
Other reasons they may leave is because of the violence in the home atmosphere that can include abuse on many different levels such as physical, emotional and mental.
Racism can contribute to this problem. Youth that are restricted in their living area or school setting because of racism are robbed of their opportunities to advance in life, and as a result, they have no life skills that ultimately leaves them homeless.
The Government in many ways has failed young people that are dealing with all these potential problems. There are not enough resources available to correct the situation that is ultimately leading them to homelessness
In many ways, society itself has failed them. Mostly by not recognizing that a youth may be homeless by no choice of their own but because of circumstances. Many people judge young ones living on the street as doing so by choice. They brand them as being lazy and lacking motivation.
To really eliminate the problem of homelessness in Youth living in Canada it takes an increase in knowledge by those who can make a difference. It means recognizing the triggers that lead many youth into this situation.
Youth Homelessness in Canada
If you want to learn more about youth homelessness, you need to stop what you are doing right now and read this.
Everyone can experience homelessness. Every country in the world has to deal with it. Here in Canada, many young people experience homelessness and it is a growing problem. We can stop this from happening if we have a solid policy and practice that we do every single day.
This problem is not discussed too often in public because of the topic sensitivity. That’s why here at Rainbow Youth, we will discuss the factors that contribute to youth homelessness.
The Reasons
We need to understand first what forces youth to this kind of situation. This can be a jumping-off point for developing a proper policy and practice to handle this kind of problem. One of the common causes of homelessness is poverty. It drives the parents to leave their children because they cannot afford to support them.
Violence inside the home or a toxic environment that leads to any kind of abuse can also be a factor of homelessness. Youth tend to leave their home since they cannot take the abuse that they’re getting.
Racism can also be a big factor for the problems since people of color are being excluded from everything including school, work, and/or living community. Robbing a person of their opportunity to live a normal life can result in being jobless which leads to homelessness.
Our government also contributes to youth homelessness in many ways. They have failed to give enough resources to people that can help them correct the problem. Their failure to help educate the masses can lead to youth homelessness.
The society we live in also failed our homeless people. Many people judge people for being homeless and they do not consider the challenges that they faced. They always say that homeless people are lazy and lack motivation because they live in poverty.
We really need to help our community eradicate youth homelessness in Canada. We just need to learn how to deal with this kind of problem. Rainbow Youth knows that you can make a difference and help the people.
How can you help
If you are one of the lucky people who have their own home and doesn’t experience this kind of hardship, you should lend a helping hand to the homeless. Here are some ways you can help the homeless community.
- Educate yourself properly
- Show them some respect
- When you have time, donate and volunteer
- Teach and reach out to the homeless
- Seek out job opportunities
- Use social media to your advantage
Thank you for reading this article, we hope that helps you realize one of the biggest problems in our society. Please feel free to browse our website to know more about the programs we have here at Rainbow Youth.