As mentioned above, the homeless do not fit one or two distinct profiles. Some are able but unwilling to change their circumstances, for others it's a bit more difficult than: "Just get a job!"
I volunteered at a Suicide Prevention/Distress Centre Hotline for a couple of years and a lot of the callers who would use our services were in and out of hostels and shelters. They all suffered from varying levels of mental illness. There were some that just walked away from a home and family and voluntarily decided to live on the streets.
So yes, we have (and always had) a lot of services for the mentally ill. However, regarding those with concerned family with the means and access to additional resources, the
Ontario Mental Health Act states that you cannot commit someone to a facility or force them to seek psychiatric help unless they are a danger to themselves or others or their health declines that they require hospitalization.
Plenty slip through the cracks and due to the nature of their illness are incapable of helping themselves or allowing others to help them.
It's a very sad situation that unfortunately does not have clear-cut answers or solutions.
I agree there is no simple solution.
On the drug issue I'd offer a possible solution based on one specific case.
A colleague had a niece that was hooked on heroin. She was from a well-to-do family that bailed her out every time she ended up in jail or court. They paid for revolving door rehabs. They paid for dental work and other fixes to her self abuse. Another revolving door.
Then she got pregnant. She suddenly went clean because she had something to live for. I've lost touch but hopefully the kid and mom are both OK.
People have to achievable goals. Some have to be shown that goals are important. You can't drop out of high school anymore and make things work out.
There are numerous sub groups of homeless and welfare types.
PTSD is nasty and unpredictable. We scorn the victim and ignore the harm done by the perpetrators. Aileen Wuornos (Monster) was a prostitute that was executed for murdering seven of her clients. She had been sexually abused since her early teens. Was there any effort in going after the perverts that turned her into a killer? How many similar cases are there?
I get tired of hearing the USA "Thank you for your service to your country" and then they trash a vet living on the street because of the PTSD he suffered from seeing his buddy's head get blown off in the Middle East.
A couple making $200K a year want a house then kids but can't afford step one, the house. So they say F it and go Carpe Diem, spend on depreciating assets and luxuries. A couple making $100K doesn't get the luxuries part. Carpe Diem, for them, is survival.
If you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen. That seems to be the mantra of big business. It has to be because profits have to grow and there's no easy pickings any more. Trickle down economics actually trickles down poverty.
Mega Corp puts pressure on Midi Corp to cut prices. Midi Corp passes the demand on to Mini Corp. Mini Corp passes it onto their employees one way or another. Replace full time workers with part time, go offshore, abuse foreign worker laws, contract employees. At some point you can't get any more juice from the orange.
There are 168 hours in a week. You only need 56 hours of sleep. If you can't work 112 hours a week you're a loser?
What is a reality? With free trade deals you could be competing with someone who will work for 112 hours a week and sleep in a bunk that gets rented out eight hours at a time.
What do you do with those that can't cope?
Some of them are snowflakes about to melt. We in the west aren't used to much of the world's reality. Big business says you're unworthy if you don't buy more trinkets and baubles, drink more lattes.
I blame big business for much of the problem. To ensure growth they have to get people to buy more. To do that they have to make people discontented. Keep telling people they are a loser if they don't own stuff and they either own stuff or become disillusioned.
I think we need some degree of predictability in life. That is gone. We need some degree of security and that too is largely gone. Talk to any estate attorney and there are countless stories of brother vs brother back stabbing.
There are well meaning people that think they know what you need. They don't but their ego won't let their eyes open.
Rant #2 over
