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The Solutions
For the absolute homeless the first level of support is emergency shelters. At the other extreme is safe and affordable housing. Between the two extremes are a variety of options providing differing degrees of accommodation and levels of service. To be effective a community must offer a wide variety of housing and service options; housing is a fundamental building block to creating healthy communities.
For the chronically homeless, the most cost-effective way to end the cycle of homelessness is affordable housing. A recent study by the provincial government found that the cost of providing major government services such as hospital care and court time was 33 % more per year on average than to provide low-cost housing ($24,000 compared to $18,000).
|
Type of Facility |
Services |
Total Costs/Day |
|
Psychiatric Hospital |
Psychiatric, assessments and referrals |
$200-$600 |
|
Provincial Institution |
Cell, meal security |
$155 - 250 |
|
Emergency Shelter |
Basic Overnight Accommodations and Hot Meal |
$60 -85 |
|
Supportive Single Occupancy Rooms |
Small rooms, 24 hour staff |
$20 - $25 |
|
Self Contained Apartment |
No Support |
$25 - $35 |
** From Volume 3, Homelessness – Causes & Effects – The Costs of Homelessness in British Columbia, British Columbia, February 2001
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