Contributed by Stephanie Gauthier

sa国际传媒淚t just makes sense.sa国际传媒�

Thatsa国际传媒檚 how Tim Richter summarizes his call to end homelessness. He is the founder and CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) and a national leader in the effort to end homelessness. For him, the path to solving homelessness lies through the Housing First approach.

sa国际传媒淗ousing First is truth in advertising,sa国际传媒� said Richter. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 saying sa国际传媒榣etsa国际传媒檚 move someone directly from the street or a shelter into a home, with no preconditions. This approach is more humane, and itsa国际传媒檚 also more effective.sa国际传媒�

Under the Housing First approach, stable housing is the first step in the journey away from homelessness, not the last. Health, substance use, mental health, and other issues are addressed from that solid foundation of housing. Another is the fundamental recognition of humanity thatsa国际传媒檚 built into the approach.

sa国际传媒淭his is a model that puts people back in the driversa国际传媒檚 seat of their own lives,sa国际传媒� said Richter. sa国际传媒淎s long as wesa国际传媒檙e pathologizing people, looking at whatsa国际传媒檚 wrong with them and what needs to be fixed, wesa国际传媒檙e never going to solve the problem.sa国际传媒�

This is where stigma becomes a barrier because it leads us to the opposite view. Stigma encourages us to doubt an individualsa国际传媒檚 abilities and to limit their freedom and independence, rather than providing opportunities for them to take control of their lives. Solving homelessness takes a leap of faith, a willingness to see the possibility in someone despite their current circumstances.

sa国际传媒淪tigma is about othering people,sa国际传媒� added Richter. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 about treating people as different or flawed, and looking at homelessness as though itsa国际传媒檚 that personsa国际传媒檚 fault and not a systemic issue.sa国际传媒�

Read More: Stigma remains for those experiencing homelessness in Kelowna

Ending homelessness is a daunting undertaking. Richter has no illusions about that, but he stays positive by focusing on the thousands of little successes that happen every day. Moncton, New Brunswick has reduced chronic homelessness by 10 percent, for example. Other communities have ended veteran homelessness. Richter said that there are two main arguments for ending homelessness.

sa国际传媒淭he first is the moral argument and it says no one in Canada should die for the lack of a home, that no one should suffer needlessly. The other argument is a practical one. Wesa国际传媒檝e proven time and time again that itsa国际传媒檚 cheaper to give a person a home than it is to have them bouncing aimlessly through expensive public systems, like jail, hospitals, the police, the courts - and meanwhile, they just keep getting sicker.sa国际传媒�

The Homeless Hub estimates homelessness costs the Canadian economy $7 billion per year and calls for relatively modest spending increases to address the issue. The 7 Cities Initiative in Alberta, which housed 23,000 people between 2008 and 2018, saved an estimated $2.4 billion in provincial expenditures.

Richter is right. Solving homelessness makes sense. We have an approach thatsa国际传媒檚 been proven effective and we can all contribute by questioning our own views about homelessness and the people who experience it.

Read More: To end chronic homelessness in Kelowna more supportive housing needed

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