HOMELESSNESS CAN BE NARROWED DOWN TO A FEW ROOT CAUSES

Drugs and alcohol. Mental illness. Job loss. Abuse. Rising rent.

The reasons behind homelessness in Nanaimo seem as many and varied as
there are faces of the homeless.

But what appear to be myriad causes can actually be narrowed to a few
root issues.

The majority of the homeless have an addiction. For many, those
addictions are the result of mental illness. And more often than not,
those two issues lead to financial difficulties.

"That's sort of the three broad strokes," says John Horn, Nanaimo's
social planner.

Mike Kirby, manager of the Living Room drop-in centre says even in
cases where addiction might not have put people on the street, it's
what's keeping them there.

"People lean toward drugs to get them through," Kirby says. "The
biggest thing is addiction. The next hit becomes more important than
their next meal -- everything else doesn't matter."

While 60 per cent of respondents to last summer's homeless survey
cited addiction directly as the reason for their situation, the
actual figures are likely much higher.

"If you ask street outreach nurses ... they would suggest that
somewhere in the neighbourhood of 90 per cent of the people they
encounter on the streets have a drug issue, an addictions issue of
some kind," says Horn.

With addiction such a big factor in homelessness, the lack of 'wet
housing' is another stumbling block, says Karen Lorette, a registered
pyschiatric nurse working with the Mental Health and Addictions
Crisis Response Team.

Relapse is a major part of fighting addiction, so wet houses -- which
tolerate drug use, but have some level of staffing to maintain order
- -- are an important intermediate step.

"The housing is contingent upon safety, rather than drug use,"
Lorette says, adding that without that measure, people with an
addiction easily get evicted and end up back on the street.

"Other communities do it, but for some reason it hasn't happened
here," she says.

The July 2006 homeless survey, conducted by the Working Group on
Homelessness, indicated there are roughly 300 homeless people living
in Nanaimo.

The survey comes to "the inescapable conclusion" that the Harbour
City's homelessness problem is growing.

But why is the problem growing when the community -- and the province
- -- is enjoying a period of enormous economic prosperity?

The answer isn't that complicated.

The downside of a booming economy is more people, particularly low
income earners, are "left behind" by rapidly rising real estate
prices and rental costs.

"That economic argument is probably a pretty strong one around here,
because prices have gone up and wages haven't kept up," says Horn.
"People at the bottom of the income spectrum have no ability to fight
the gap between the cost of living and what they're earning."

"Those folks are trapped and there's probably a correlation," he
says. "Some of the people at that bottom end are eventually going to
fall off the map."

Along with addiction, the lack of accessible affordable housing is
the biggest factor contributing to homelessness.

Steve Arnett, Nanaimo Youth Services Association executive director
notes that an entry-level home is now priced around $250,000 -- tough
to afford on $8 an hour entry-level wages.

"We are pricing more and more people out of the market," he says.

Inga Cooper-Nielsson, program director at Tillicum Haus Native
Friendship Centre, says for people facing a housing challenge, what
they can afford is often so inadequate and unsafe it's no better than
the street.

And rents have gone up so drastically to make the $375 government
housing allowance -- the province recently increased the allowance by
$50 -- a pittance.

"That's a big portion of their cheque," Cooper-Nielsson says.
"Affordable housing -- that's a big issue."

Francine Harper, coordinator of the WrapAround Program assisting
homeless and at-risk people re-establish themselves, says the lack of
affordable housing is the biggest issue faced by her clients, noting
a two-year waitlist for Nanaimo's B.C. Housing facilities.

"Everyone is entitled to housing," she says, suggesting true
affordable housing would make rents compatible with the $375
government shelter allowance.

"We need housing that is affordable for everyone."

Kirby says providing more entry-level housing opportunities would go
a long way for people who, even as they try to get off the street,
find the deck is stacked against them.

"It's tough for people to clean up and stay off the street," he says.

Cutbacks and increasing demand for existing resources also mean long
waits -- as long as six months -- for treatment for people coming out
of detox. That gap in services makes it too easy to relapse and end
up back on the street, says Lorette.

"They're looking for help when they come out. If it's not there, how
can they possibly stay clean?"

With just $375 shelter allowance, anyone trying to clean up is forced
to share accommodations.

If those roommates don't share the same desire to pull themselves
together, it becomes nearly impossible to accomplish, and they all
end up back on the street.

The result is bouncing between life on the street and life on the fringe.

"There just isn't enough housing -- affordable housing," Kirby says.