The Absolute Cost of Homelessness - Calgary Drop-In & Rehab ...

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6many chronically homeless neveruse emergency servicesNot all chronically homelessindividuals are users of emergencyservices. As an example, Jack*a 52-year-old chronic alcoholic has beenusing the DI services since 2001. His onlyrecorded CPS interaction was in 2006 whenCPS dropped him off at the DI. He has noknown EMS or Alberta Health Servicesinteractions. As such, his total cost to theDI in 2009 was $13,140 (365 x $36/night).Given his long-term homeless status,however, he would be labeled chronic andthus, he would be deemed to cost socialservices $100,000 per year.Figure 3:Cost comparison of one chronically homeless client at the DI with noEMS or CPS interactionsAnnual Cost/Chronic HomelessAnnual Cost/Chronic client (Top 50 Users - noCalgary Homeless Foundation (CHF)known EMS or CPS interactions)Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre (DI)$100,000.00 $13,140.00Projected Cost Factors:Actual Cost Factors:Calgary Drop-In & RehabCalgary Drop-In & Rehab$40/day x 365 $ 14,600.00 $36/day x 365 $13,140.00(Est - $40/day/person from Province -- The(Actual $28/day/person from Province)Homeless Among Us)Emergency SupportEmergency SupportAvg. 4 calls/person @ 275.69/call0 @ $275.69/callEMS $ 1,102.76 EMS $ 0.00FIRE $ 1,102.76 FIRE $ 0.00POLICEPOLICEAvg. 3.3 calls/person @ $84.00/call No calls in 2009CPS $ 278.04 CPS $ 0.00Unpaid EMS $ 8,397.00/person Unpaid EMS $ 0.00Unpaid FIRE $ 8,397.00/person Unpaid FIRE $ 0.00Unpaid CPS $ 8,397.00/person Unpaid CPS $ 0.00Hospital Avg. Stay 12.2 days $ 12,200.00/stay Hospital Stay 5 days $ 0.00Calgary Remand CentreCalgary Remand Centre$108.72/day$108.72/dayAvg stay 34.6 days $ 3,761.72 Avg. stay 0 days $ 0.00Sub Total $ 58,236.28 ACTUAL TOTAL $13,140.00PLUS -- OTHER(particulars not known) $ 41,763.72 *Has AB Health Care Card. Not known if bills areTOTAL $100,000.00paid.In suggesting that every homeless Calgariancosts the system, and therefore the taxpayer,$100,000 per year to support, we perpetuatethe idea that every homeless citizen is a highuser of our social services, through frequentinteractions with Emergency Services,Health Care, the judicial system and othersocial service agencies. Attributing remandcentre costs, judicial costs and policeservices to every chronically homelessindividual suggests that every homelessindividual is inherently criminal.The Absolute Cost of Homelessness
7According to the CHF, homelessness ringsup an annual cost to taxpayers of $4.25billion 7 . The Homeless Among Us alsostates, “Supportive housing can be morecost effective than an array of emergencyservices. The average annual cost perperson were $66,000 to $120,000 forinstitutional responses (prison, detentionand psychiatric hospitals) and $13,000 to$42,000 for emergency shelters, but only$13,000 to $18,000 for supportive andtransitional housing and $5,000 to $8,000for affordable housing without supports.”(p15)homelessness costs less at the DIIn 2009, with an annual budget of $21million the DI provided services toover 12,000 individuals, 89% of whomstayed less than three weeks at the DI.For $13,140 per person, we provided eachperson the opportunity to be safe and tofind the resources they needed to continueback to the homes where they belonged.Providing individuals a safe and caringenvironment where they are treated withdignity and respect and where they canfind essential resources is critical for thepeople we serve. It is not about managinghomelessness. It’s about ensuring everyoneis safe, has a place to belong and a way toget back home. And for some, staying inour community longer than society deemsappropriate, is a reality of their experiencein homelessness.Nobody ever dreamt of becominghomeless. And yet, when they findthemselves in that place of NoFixed Address, having a welcoming shelterto come to, finding a place where they canbelong, is the only thing that keeps them safefrom the cold, hard reality of the street.At the DI, we do not manage homelessness.We manage our resources and ensure thatwe extract maximum value from everydollar the government, communities,organizations, corporations and individualsentrusts in our agency. We ensure that withthe resources we are provided, we maximizeour value in the lives of the people we serveand minimize our impact upon our sisteragencies and organizations such as CPS,EMS and the health care system.More than managing the business ofproviding for individuals who are homeless,however, we care for people. We delivereffective and respectful service to peoplein need. We accept people where they’reat, and hold a place for them until they findtheir courage to say, “Here’s where I wantto go. Can you help me?”A DI Discussion Paper
Page 1 and 2: A DI Discussion Paper1
Page 3 and 4: 3bottom line costs varyTo determine
Page 5: 5In actual fact, the DI’s average

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