The Need to Address Poverty in Canada

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Poverty is a serious issue in Canada needs to be addressed promptly. Poverty is not simply about the lack of money an individual has; it is much more than that. The World Bank Organization defines poverty by stating that, “Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time”. In Canada, 14.9 percent of Canada’s population has low income as Statistics Canada reports, which is roughly about two million of Canadians in poverty or on the verge of poverty. In addition, according to an UNICEF survey, 13.3 percent of Canadian children live in poverty. If the government had started to provide efficient support to help decrease the rates of poverty, this would not have been such a significant issue in Canada. Even though the issue of poverty has always been affecting countries regardless of the efforts being made to fight against it, the government of Canada still needs to take charge and try to bring the percentage of poverty down to ensure that Canada is a suitable place to live. Therefore, due to the lack of support and social assistance from the government, poverty has drastically increased in Canada.
To begin, the poor shelter conditions in Canada are one of the main reasons as to why poverty increases. Homeless shelters in Canada are poorly accessible since the space in these shelters is very limited. Since shelters do not have enough beds and space for all homeless individuals, many homeless people have to sleep outside or anywhere they can find shelter. This causes an increase in poverty since homeless individuals are unable to...

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...om and as a result most people that come from a poor background will not get hired. The poor do have the education and skills to work at these big companies but are highly criticized because of their status. Therefore, the way the system is organized, there will always be poor and rich unless the government starts addressing this issue.
In conclusion, homelessness has impacted our society greatly. It is a severe issue in our society that is not experienced by choice. Homelessness is an unkind experience for individuals who are forced to encounter a lack of adequate and affordable housing, poor shelter conditions, and the issue of economic inequality. The government of Canada needs to step up and start addressing this issue as soon as possible. The only way poverty will stop increasing in Canada is by the support and social assistance from the Canadian government.

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