Essays
These are some of my essays. Enjoy.
Solution to Homeless problem
As I made my way from downtown to Simon Fraser University, I was able to see the full extent of the Downtown Eastside and its misery. The slum of the city is mostly visible through the windows of buses and cars making their daily commute, given the passengers a distant and saddened feeling of the neighbourhood. As time goes by, passer-bys get desensitized to the aging, boarded-up buildings, the homeless lurking around, and the gloom of such misery. Many, me included, live their lives with a false hope that things will get better for the people affected due to homelessness and drug addiction.
The word homelessness is correlated with the Downtown Eastside in the minds of most people in Metro Vancouver. The streets are not cleaned, the buildings are rundown, broken and dirty, there's a lack of businesses and nobody wants to go there; it is no wonder the place attracts all kinds of problems. Drug addiction and dealing, prostitution, diseases, crime, lack of education, adequate housing and unemployment are all problems troubling the Downtown Eastside.
Money is the all-star player in problem-solving in society, but it must be organized and directed in order to take effect. Some people and organizations may be made of money, but the money won't leave the pocket unless it attracts more money. The right sources of money may very well bring us nearer to the elimination of homelessness. This solution may come in different forms, such as government initiatives, investors, and corporate sponsorship among many things.
The first baby steps have already been taken. The government of British Columbia opened six education centres (such as The Gathering Place Education Centre) around the lower mainland for people to go back to school and upgrade or complete their high school diploma. The availability of free course will allow people to become more literate and educated in order to be more qualified for their future endeavours. Government may also set up bursaries and scholarships targeted at homeless people in order to give them incentives to go get post-secondary education.
Another government initiative that could potentially take place is the development of affordable housing for people with low incomes as well as the homeless. Vancouver is an expensive city to live in; it is no wonder that many people have been affected by the hiking house pricing. Relocating to a different city is expensive and it is not wonder people may get stuck in the state of homeless if they cannot afford to pay rent or buy a house. Government funded rehabilitation centres will definitely come in handy as well since many homeless people got to where they are now because of their addiction to drugs.
Private investors can also help. The rundown buildings and dirty streets in the downtown eastside make the place live up to its reputation. Like many people, I don't particularly enjoy walking along a street which feels like its deserted and has lost its soul. Companies and investors may want to think about buying some of these buildings and repairing them or even demolishing in order to build new buildings. This will lighten up the streets, create jobs, and give the investors their money's worth in return when the buildings are leased or bought.
Work related training could be provided by many different organizations. Private or public organizations may want to sponsor such training in order to draw attention; luring people to your company may be as easy as giving them the necessary training free of charge.
Now money is usually tight, especially when it comes to government spending; we are not going to see much done if there is not some way to gain money. The 2010 Olympics will definitely help improve the lower mainland's economy since it will increase tourism and the facilities will have a life-time of profit. If legalized, Marijuana will solve plenty of problems: its one billion dollars a year industry is taxable, and since it is going to be strictly regulated just like cigarettes, the crime rate will go down.
Money may be the all-star, but it takes a team to win a game. A problem that persists is the organization of these steps. The biggest and most difficult part of the problem is getting people motivated enough to change their lives around. It is not easy for people to make drastic changes in their lives, especially when they've hit rock bottom.
