Foster the integration of people experiencing homelessness

Foster the integration of people experiencing homelessness

Description

Understanding people experiencing homelessness and their journey

Combat prejudice against people experiencing homelessness

Recognize the value of people experiencing homelessness and encourage them to contribute to the community

Make room for homeless people and avoid excluding them

Provide accompaniment and support to people experiencing homelessness

Description

Integrating into society is a great way to help people who are homeless, or who are at risk of becoming homeless, get out of their situation. Everyone can help find new forms of support and solidarity for these people, and thus encourage their participation and inclusion.

 heath tips

Understanding people experiencing homelessness and their journey

Homeless people have multiple life paths. Their faces bear witness to a very wide variety of situations often marked by drug addiction and mental disorders. Recognizing the diversity of these people and their backgrounds is the first step to understanding and integrating them into society. To learn more about this, you can consult the portrait of people experiencing homelessness.

Combat prejudice against people experiencing homelessness

There are different biases against people who are homeless. For the majority of the Quebec population, living on the street is something that constitutes a departure from the norm. Many people believe that people living on the streets pose a threat to established order or their own safety. That’s why homeless people are often screened, which can lead to a ticket or stay in prison. These interventions can increase their social exclusion, especially when they are motivated by discrimination based on their social condition. This type of discrimination is called "social profiling". Although these control interventions are sometimes the only way to intervene and can even be helpful, there are other solutions.

It should not be forgotten that people experiencing homelessness have strengths and capacities, like any other person. The situation they find themselves in does not define what they really are as people. It is necessary to combat prejudice against homeless people and to act in a fair and respectful manner towards them. It starts with choosing not to ignore them. These people must be considered as full citizens.

Indeed, people experiencing homelessness have the same rights as all other people, among others:

the right to health;

the right to security;

the right to exercise citizenship, for example, the right to vote;

the right to housing;

the right to education.

In the name of respect for these rights and human dignity, the realities and needs of these people deserve the attention and interest of all.

Recognize the value of people experiencing homelessness and encourage them to contribute to the community

Homeless people can contribute to the life of the community and must be offered opportunities to do so.

Participating in community life can help a homeless person develop a sense of belonging to the community.

In addition, promoting the social integration of people experiencing homelessness will allow all citizens to live together harmoniously in public spaces.

The social participation of homeless people requires recognition by other citizens. They must consider homeless people as full citizens, with the same rights and responsibilities as everyone else. Recognizing the value of people experiencing homelessness depends very much on the efforts that each person in the population makes towards them.

Make room for homeless people and avoid excluding them

The street does not have the same meaning for everyone who shares it. For most people, i.e. residents, workers, consumers, and tourists, this is a place of traffic. For people experiencing homelessness, it is a place to socialize and a living environment.

Ignoring the needs of people experiencing homelessness, hiding their presence, evicting them from public spaces or preventing them from accessing them risks further excluding them.

As a citizen, you can do your part to promote harmoniously coexistence on the street.