From Abbotsfordians FOR a transition house downtown.
A cost effective solution for a known need – Walter Neufeld
Bas Stevens photo
From the Montreal Gazette – According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, at least 200,000 Canadians are homeless annually, and it costs the economy $7 billion a year.
[excerpt]
By Charlie Fidelman, Gazette Health Reporter, April 9, 2014
It works! That’s the official word from the Housing First/Chez Soi research project that gave homeless people with mental health problems a roof over their heads.
The federally funded Mental Health Commission of Canada report, released Tuesday in Ottawa, shows that “housing first” is a successful approach in the battle against chronic homelessness.
The report was released as emergency shelters in Montreal lament the fact that homelessness demands on shelters are increasing.
“At Home/Chez Soi shows us that this approach works in Canada. A house is so much more than a roof over one’s head. It represents dignity, security and, above all, hope,” Louise Bradley, head of the Commission said after making the report public.
[source]