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GAUNTLET FEATURES FEBRUARY 05.09 25
and getting better in a house.”
Both of these problems must
be addressed in order to truly end
homelessness in this city. Doing so
will require a collective effort from
Calgarians to ensure the intensive
programs needed to aid those remaining
on the street are developed
and implemented and communities
are willing to set aside their prejudices
and welcome affordable and
assisted housing. Yet the ten year
plan’s success itself indicates just
how big these obstacles are.
OOne of the keys to the great success
of the ten year plan is that it has
finally found an economic argument
for the importance of ending homelessness.
But this is a sad realization
at the same time. It means that our
city, particularly individuals in key
government positions, could not be
motivated to vigorously approach
homelessness until it was shown that
in so doing we would save money.
That is an appalling condemnation
of this city and surely of many others.
It leads one to believe that solving
either of the two main challenges
confronting the ultimate success of
the ten year plan will require a total
re-evaluation of the way we interact
with one another. Like the man at
the DIC who fell back into the darker
traits of his character, it is hard to
imagine that there will not need to
be a conscious, sustained effort at
community building in order to
solve a problem that deeply affects
some and casts a dark shadow over
this city. This has not escaped the attention
of either Gallagher or Richter.
“It is such a societal problem,”
said Gallagher. “I mean things like
family violence, abuse, divorce,
these are all things that contribute
to homelessness and addictions. To
end homelessness we have to end
the contributing factors.”
For Richter and the ten year
plan, the goal is to ensure that by
2018 no one spends more than
seven days in a shelter or on the
streets. So far their progress has
been astounding and the success of
similar plans in other cities should
give this city great hope. But that
does not mean that it is time to sit
back and assume that the solution
has been found and the hard work
is done.
For all the great possibilities it
entails and the noble acts it engenders,
the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness
brings us face to face with
the darker side of our collective
nature. Until this is carefully scrutinized
and faced up to, homelessness
can not be truly eliminated.