Homelessness is not the fault of people, caused by their characteristics or mistakes, but rather by the actions or inaction of society and governments in the areas of poverty, deinstitutionalization and supply reduction of affordable housing services. At the root of homelessness is poverty, and the growing number of poor people leaves many without a home or a roof over their heads. Deinstitutionalization was originally seen as an appropriate way to maximize resources, but insufficient enforcement led to vagrancy. The rising cost of rent and housing has made it difficult to pay for other basic necessities such as food, leading to homelessness becoming the only option. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. However, if prevention and reduction strategies are implemented effectively by the government, a decrease in homelessness is very possible. The spread and worsening of poverty have increased due to changes in the composition of the labor market and changes in government policies, such as restrictions on eligibility for employment insurance and welfare incentives. The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer. “In the ten years between 1986 and 1996, Canada's population increased by 14%, which would raise expectations of a corresponding increase in the number of Canadians living below the official poverty line established by the federal government. Instead we find that at the end of this period there were 30% more Canadians living in poverty, a rate that was more than double that justified by a 14% population increase. (Pohl, par. 1; “cause no. 1” sec.7) Women especially have greater difficulty addressing the problems of poverty as they are more likely to experience periods of low financial instability for a longer period of time and to a greater extent. deeper than men. In 2003, approximately 1.5 million adult women lived in poverty. In the same year, the average pre-tax income for women over the age of 16 was only 62% of that of men. (Women and Girls: Homelessness and Poverty in Canada 1) These factors underlying women's poverty are what cause the majority of women to become homeless. For example, in Vancouver, homeless people confined to the streets were women and were under the age of 19 in 31.5% of cases. So not only men and women, but also young people are affected by poverty and homelessness. Young people growing up in poverty are much more likely to live in extreme financial hardship. This is the result of other negative effects of poverty, such as poor academic achievement, abuse and neglect, developmental delays, physical health problems, etc. and behavioral and sociological problems. Deinstitutionalization has led to structural changes in the healthcare system that have resulted in people leaving institutions without adequate community support programs, leaving them homeless. Without adequate community support programs, deinstitutionalized mentally ill patients have greater difficulty obtaining housing. The Vancouver Richmond Health Board/Vancouver Community Mental Health Services maintains a waiting list of 2,600 mentally ill people who must wait an average of four years to obtain supportive housing. (Causes and Effects of Homelessness 3) For example, over the past four decades British Columbia has had the greatest level of deinstitutionalization it has ever had. This is directly attributable to scalingand the subsequent closing of Riverview Hospital on July 13, 2012. When Riverview Hospital was downsized, it was underfunded and felt as if modern medicine had given up on the need for a psychiatric hospital. This resulted in the deinstitutionalization of many patients deemed fit for society, when in reality they were better suited to remain in psychiatric institutions permanently or for a long period of hospitalization. These patients, after wandering the streets and looking for work and homes for a month to a year, seemed to find a home in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The area's neighborhoods are seen as a norm for low-income people or those seeking a better life because they have many community resources aimed at the homeless, making them attractive to the mentally ill as well. Furthermore, as deinstitutionalization has led to patients becoming homeless, homelessness has opened the door to incarceration. Surveys of inmates and detainees have found that mentally ill offenders are more likely than other inmates to be homeless at the time of arrest and in the year prior to arrest. (Markowitz 51). Additionally, with insufficient treatment programs within neighborhoods and limited staff, personal resources, and public support, many struggling homeless people are at increased risk of police confrontation and arrest. These displaced individuals are confined not only for summary offenses such as drunkenness, disorderly conduct, loitering or nuisance, but also for indictable offenses such as assault, theft and robbery. Today, home prices continue to decline and the number of low-income individuals continues to swell. As immigrants continue to flow into Canada, the provisions made for them have led to fewer housing options. These homes are not only unreasonably priced, but they are also not comfortable or acceptable. Inadequate housing, such as in poor areas like Vancouver, has seen an alarming increase in bed bugs, particularly in the Downtown Eastside, where 31% of residents have reported infestations. (Bed Bugs) For example, in Metro Vancouver, 96% of refugees were found to experience extreme, high or moderate housing stress in their first six months in Canada. (Francis 60) In their first year in Canada refugees are provided with the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) card, which is designed to be for room and board only. RAP rates depend on the number of people in a household; for example, a single refugee receives $635, a family of three $1,163, and a family of five $1,447 per month. The average monthly rent in Metro Vancouver in October 2008 for a three-bedroom apartment was $1,356, suitable for a family of five. Therefore, after paying for housing, a family of five has $91 to pay for food and other expenses. This causes many problems leading to homelessness because newly integrated refugees are generally ignorant of Canadian norms and traditions and have difficulty looking for a job or any other way to provide for themselves or their families. So the $91 is all they have to eat and support others. To reduce homelessness, the government must adopt prevention and reduction strategies. For example, some preventative strategies that could make a difference in completely stopping homelessness at its root are emergency prevention and traditional prevention strategies. Traditional prevention programs can be used to assess and respond to people's housing needs.