Opinions

Canada Speaks: Report reveals public perceptions about the nation's homeless

by Nelson Daily staff on 26 May 2011

Canadians have spoken and they have something to say about homelessness in Canada. 
A report released Wednesday provides a unique look into how Canadians feel about the more than 150,000 homeless living on the streets in cities across the country.

The report, Canada Speaks, is a part of The Salvation Army's ongoing Dignity Project — a national effort to educate and engage Canadians about the reality of poverty in the 21st Century.

The survey of more than 1,000 Canadians, conducted in April by Angus Reid Public Opinion, revealed that a surprising number of Canadians have had first-hand experience with homelessness and related issues.

As well, nearly one-quarter of Canadians have received or are currently receiving assistance from a food bank or charitable group, while seven per cent reported that they have had to sleep on the street or in a shelter due to lack of housing at some point in their lives.

Additional key findings include:

• Approximately 40 percent of Canadians believe that most homeless people want to live on the street and in shelters.
• Almost 30 percent of Canadians believe that a good work ethic is all you need to escape homelessness.
• Nearly one-fifth of Canadians believe that individuals experiencing homelessness are always to blame for the situation they are in.
• 43 percent of Canadians never give money to a homeless person on the street.
• 40 percent believe that most homeless people are mentally ill.
• More than one-third of Canadians are scared of homeless people.
• Also:
• Nearly all of the respondents believe that individuals experiencing homelessness deserve a sense of dignity.
• 93 percent agree that no one in Canada should be homeless.
• 86 percent of Canadians believe that housing is fundamental right for all Canadians.
• 75 percent acknowledge that once you become homeless it is exceptionally difficult to get into housing

"The people of Canada have spoken and revealed much about their attitudes and perceptions about the nation's homeless," said Commissioner William Francis, leader of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. "We hope that through this report and the Dignity Project, we can continue to educate and inspire the public and work towards a Canada without homelessness."