In wealthy nations such as Canada homelessness has been with us for quite a while. It is an invisible problem to many but not to those on 10-year waiting lists for an affordable apartment or room.
How did we get here? We still trust that a market economy will do what is right while ignoring unemployment, wages that do not cover basic food and shelter, and inadequate stocks of affordable housing. Belief in the wisdom of the marketplace has led us to blame individuals for their misfortune and to neglect community responsibility.
Another issue has reared its head: statelessness. Millions of people across the globe flee war and natural disasters. Again we are challenged to consider our responsiblity for the basic needs of human beings in our midst.
:
moving from place to place
with no fixed address
invisible souls
in this broken society
only an old myth matters
:
In the rural county where I live I have noticed an increasing attention to the plight of people without shelter. A landowner who invited a couple in need to live in a trailer on his land found himself helping out more people. He is now in trouble with the municipality as trailers he set up on his property violate zoning bylaws.
:
hidden survivors
like ants under a boulder
their lives unknown
:
©️2018 Ontheland
Reflections about a cause for Haikai Challenge #48 Causes
