Contemporary Canadian IssuesNameInstitutionContemporary Canadian IssuesShould a housing program be provided to veterans to eliminate the problem of increasing veterans’ homelessness? Yes, housing projects should be developed to curb the problem of increasing homeless veterans. Due to the rising volume of the homeless ex-servicemen and women, the number is estimated to blow out of proportion. Therefore, it poses a great risk to national security and the overall economic position of the country.No, veterans should not be provided with housing programs as it will raise other problems related to the free homes.
For instance, the government and other associated private sectors will incur huge costs that may have otherwise been used in other essential sectors of the economy.There are various reasons that contribute to the high number of homeless veterans.For instance, their livable income is not sufficient to maintain their homes and more so, families (Berthiaume 2017). Hence, in the end, they end up on the street when their income proves insufficient to meet all their needs.
Also, most ex-servicemen suffer from a post-traumatic disorder that influences their ability to perform other jobs. The psychological position they end up in renders them useless in the outside labor market (Berthiaume 2017). Owing to their, jobless state, they end up homeless as they lack the funds needed to get and maintain their homes. Moreover, the government delays pensions for veterans and benefits for hurt soldiers (Berthiaume 2017). Housing projects should be developed and enacted in order to avoid all the causes that make veterans homeless. Moreover, there are other reasons that call forth developments of housing programs for the veterans.
The issue of homeless veterans’ results in huge embarrassment to the government and the whole country in general. According to Mark Eldridge, “the existence of the homeless veterans on the street is a great disappointment to the government as about 85 people are suffering in the National Capital Region every day” (Berthiaume 2017). After a great service to the country, the least the government can do is provide the veterans with homes. Most importantly the job the ex-soldiers do is invaluable as they dedicate and put their lives on the line for the security of the whole country. Therefore, the government and the whole society should do everything possible to ensure that they enjoy a comfortable life after service.The programs may include, free houses to the veterans or rent subsidies offered by the government. In order for the program to be successful, the homes should be constructed in accordance with the unique needs of the ex-soldiers.
Additionally, the processing of veteran’s pensions and disability benefits should not be delayed, and a follow-up should be conducted to ensure that the programs produce positive impacts.However, there are various reasons that indicate that the housing programs for the homeless veterans are a bad idea.For instance, the programs cost a lot of taxpayers money that would have otherwise been used in the provision of other public services that would not only benefit the veterans but every citizen in general. For instance, the Canadian government “has launched an emergency fund that gives cash directly to the veterans in the housing projects, the fund is budgeted to use approximately one million dollars annually” (Chartrand 2018).Although the money may be used to solve short-term needs, in the long run, it will present more problems than it solves as Jim Lowther said, “the homeless problem cannot be solved by just throwing money at it” (Chartrand 2018).ReferencesBerthiaume, L.
(2017, November 27). Federal Housing Plan Too Vague on Help for Homeless Veterans, Say, Critics. Retrieved from https://www.macleans.ca/politics/federal-housing-plan-too-vague-on-help-for-homeless-veterans-say-critics/Chartrand, F. (2018).
Liberals look at building affordable housing for homeless veterans. The Canadian Press, (June 6, 2018). Retrieved from http://www.timescolonist.com/liberals-look-at-building-affordable-housing-for-homeless-veterans-1.23326815
