Facts, who needs Facts?
“O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not.” [Jeremiah 5:21]
What are Mayor Read and the city of Maple Ridge going to do when, having changed the organization running the Maple Ridge shelter, the number of homeless in Maple Ridge continues to increase? Change to a third service provider?
Ignoring the Facts does not change the Fact that changing who is providing the services at the Maple Ridge shelter will make no more difference to the continued rise of the number of homeless in Maple Ridge than rearranging the deck chairs would have made in the sinking of the Titanic.
That fact based decision making has gone out of style and that facts are now ignored, dismissed or disbelieved in decision making, especially when those facts disagree with what we think/believe/wish/KNOW the situation/solution is, does not change that:
Reality does not care what your ideology says is true, what you believe is true or what you want to be true; Reality does not care what we think, it exists separately from us and simply is what it is. Tao of James
The Question is: what is it going to take, what has to happen, how bad does it have to get, before we reach the point at which we will use Facts and Thought to address homelessness and other issues?
At what point will politicians, the public and the media be forced to stop ineffectual fumbling, stop ignoring facts and reality and start taking effective action.
The only approach that has proven effective in achieving permanent housing and stability for the homeless and those with substance use or mental health issues is Housing First – as defined by the services and supports provided in the Canadian government funded 5 year, $110 million research study of Housing First conducted by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the online toolbox that guides, allows and helps any community that is committed to ending homelessness to begin reducing the number of homeless in that community.
Mayor Read, the city of Maple Ridge and politicians across Canada can play all the political games they desire, point fingers at or blame whoever they choose, deny responsibility and the ability to address homelessness.
That will not change Reality or alter the Facts.
We know how to effectively address and reduce homelessness.
The reason we are not effectively reducing homelessness is because politicians, the media and the public choose not to.
When Mayor Read and the city of Maple Ridge are prepared to stop playing games, do their homework and commit to the sustained effort and hard work that will reduce homelessness – homelessness will be effectively addressed and reduced in Maple Ridge.
Until then it is just BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH …….
The fault lies not in our stars, but in Ourselves.