Harper funds massive project to house the homeless

[calculoso]

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/201...sing-project-1

TORONTO — The government's response to the Attawapiskat housing crisis may well have underscored Stephen Harper's reputation for his hard line rather than his heart, with his focus on the aboriginal reserve's financial problems, not its social ones.

But in other parts of the country, the prime minister's government is also quietly bankrolling one of the largest social pilot projects ever seen in Canada, paying generously for cutting-edge research that is changing the lives of hundreds of homeless people.

The project may scream out for a new, national social program -- the kind that has been anathema to Harper in the past.

But it is producing results that suggest federal involvement in funding homes for the homeless can be smart and save money.

....

The approach, known as "housing first", rejects the traditional method of trying to fix homeless people's underlying problems before guiding them towards affordable housing. Instead, the home comes first -- heavily subsidized and with no strings attached. Then, a support team swoops in and bombards the homeless people with services of all kinds, if they want them.

...

That's an astounding success rate for a problem that has been the bane of many a government policy.

...

[transplant99]

Evil heartless neo-con sonofabitch.

I like that they are trying something different...or at least truly putting it into practice. Nothing has worked in the past to a great degree and its a problem that has to be figured out.

[Frequitude]

He's just farming them for Christmas dinner.

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by calculoso

Harper funds massive project to house the homeless

I thought that's what the crime bill is for.

[Azure]

Instead of wasting money on the stupid crime bill, they should have done more stuff like this.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

I thought that's what the crime bill is for.

I was just going to post that. 100 000 a year per inmate ... I mean guest!!

[Slava]

That is really great work.

Its so kind of Harper to contribu---what, you mean its not Harper actually doing this, but the Canadian government? Oh, well its still good, but maybe the headline is a little too congratulatory!

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Slava

That is really great work.

Its so kind of Harper to contribu---what, you mean its not Harper actually doing this, but the Canadian government? Oh, well its still good, but maybe the headline is a little too congratulatory!

The money wouldn't be allocated if Harper wouldn't have given the go-ahead.

But I doubt he has anything to do with the success. Some very smart people who were willing to try some new stuff are the reason it is working.

[Azure]

From the article.

At Home has been able to place everyone approached so far. As of November, the program was fully subscribed, with 1,030 homeless people now in homes and a control group of 980 people.

"At any time, 70 to 80 per cent of the clients are doing really well," says Aseefa Sarang, executive director of Across Boundaries, a Toronto mental health organization that is heading up implementation of At Home in that city.

That's an astounding success rate for a problem that has been the bane of many a government policy.

Nationally, almost all of those 1,030 people have stayed housed, although about 30 per cent have switched to different homes along the way. Most of them have moved on to the next step, working with professionals to design a support system that will help them cope and teach them to live more independently in the long run, says Goering.

"It makes it easier for people if they're not surrounded by others who have the same problems," she says.

"It's a pioneering and risque approach that doesn't work for everyone....But in most cases, they are housing people, and they are staying housed."

Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/201...#ixzz1hltEmAyF

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Azure

The money wouldn't be allocated if Harper wouldn't have given the go-ahead.

But I doubt he has anything to do with the success. Some very smart people who were willing to try some new stuff are the reason it is working.

Ya, and I do think that its a good program that should be implemented. I just don't like that the credit goes to a guy who basically had nothing to do with it. Flaherty controls the purse strings, so maybe he should be in the headline?

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Slava

Ya, and I do think that its a good program that should be implemented. I just don't like that the credit goes to a guy who basically had nothing to do with it. Flaherty controls the purse strings, so maybe he should be in the headline?

Who do you think Flaherty talks to in order to approve something like this?

[Ark2]

Nothing like waking up early and driving two hours to work everyday so that you can save up for a house of your own while other people are just given one. I know, I know, flame away...

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Ark2

Nothing like waking up early and driving two hours to work everyday so that you can save up for a house of your own while other people are just given one. I know, I know, flame away...

I know right?

Labour camps and forced sterilization all the way.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Ark2

Nothing like waking up early and driving two hours to work everyday so that you can save up for a house of your own while other people are just given one. I know, I know, flame away...

I was going to say it first, but they can jump on you now.

Thing is, if we get these people to be productive members of society, they'll get a job, start paying taxes, and stop being a complete drain on our system. Which is probably a win for us, even if they only pay taxes that make up for 25% of the social services they used.

[Ark2]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I know right?

Labour camps and forced sterilization all the way.

I'd be happy to have a discussion about this, but judging by your comment above, you are either not able or not willing to.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Slava

That is really great work.

Its so kind of Harper to contribu---what, you mean its not Harper actually doing this, but the Canadian government? Oh, well its still good, but maybe the headline is a little too congratulatory!

How ridiculous....name me ONE PM in the history of this country that doesnt take credit for what the "Canadian gov't" accomplishes....jeezuz, i get the dislike for the guy/party but come on...thats just grasping for something to dump on him with.

You are smarter than that.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by transplant99

How ridiculous....name me ONE PM in the history of this country that doesnt take credit for what the "Canadian gov't" accomplishes....jeezuz, i get the dislike for the guy/party but come on...thats just grasping for something to dump on him with.

You are smarter than that.

I don't think thats the case here at all. That headline (which was used elsewhere and I'm not picking on the OP here) is pure spin. Harper didn't personally contribute to anything here. The reader might get the impression he did though.

Regardless I already said I think its a good project and some of my usual sparring partners here have come out against it...so maybe the easy thing for me to say here is its awfully liberal looking!

[Calgaryborn]

Originally Posted by Ark2

Nothing like waking up early and driving two hours to work everyday so that you can save up for a house of your own while other people are just given one. I know, I know, flame away...

It would be great to see which homeless they are talking about. The mentally ill for instance, need a lot more assistance than they are getting.

The link isn't working for me so I only know what has been quoted.

[Hack&Lube]

Communist housing time!

[Flame Of Liberty]

lol Hack&Lube, nice find