What news reports are contradicting shelter workers?
And I’ve lived on the streets so am aware of the dangers there and in shelters. I’ve also been a social worker. What expertise do you have in the field?
What news reports are contradicting shelter workers?
One says that no beds are available… while outreach workers are out offering beds. That’s a contradiction, is it not?
And I’ve lived on the streets so am aware of the dangers there and in shelters.
So we can agree that the streets come with an *additional * set of risks with little to no benefit staying there, especially if you are a woman or a minor or an addict or have mental health issues.
Shelters are the better option in a less-than-ideal situation.
I’ve also been a social worker.
I’m glad to hear that. Did you find that most people got off the streets by rejecting services and refusing to go into a shelter, or was there another path that avoided these resources which helped more?
I found that people want to safe first, and shelters don’t always guarantee that.
But shelters offer more safety and resources than the streets. Especially ones that block abusive partners/pimps from entering.
Some (most?) offer meals, showers, leisure, connection to government resources, etc. I only have experience with the shelters in Durham Region, so maybe the ones in Toronto are different, but I can’t see them being worse than the streets.
There’s no silver bullet solution to the problem, unfortunately. There are only steps towards better than now.
I would personally love to see at least one abandoned mall converted into a shelter complex. With hundreds of units able to house dozens of people each, it would at least consolidate resources under one roof to make things safer and more manageable, vs dozens of separate shelters all needing their own overhead to be covered.
