The Edmonton Homelessness Commission reports that a chronically homeless person costs taxpayers $100,000 annually — but one night’s accommodation in an emergency shelter costs only $42
Some of Canada’s homeless people are being described as “frequent flyers”–people frequently picked up by emergency services and taken to hospitals or police stations, often multiple times–and the costs associated can be staggering.
The Edmonton Homeless Commission reports that a chronically homeless person costs taxpayers $100,000 annually. 1 in 5 visits by EMS/Fire was to a homeless person–and a homeless person is forty times more likely to use an emergency room in severe weather than the general population. The average length of stay in hospital if homeless is 66 days (compared to the general population average of 9.4 days). The top ten ‘frequent flyers’ to emergency rooms averaged 66 times per year. (more…)
Some people say mid-winter is the most depressing time of year—when cold and dark days, holiday bills, and already-lapsed new year’s resolutions catch up with us
The puck moves quickly up the ice, from the rock-steady defence to the winger flying up the boards on the left side. He skates the puck deep into the corner, turns and sees the centre driving to the front of the net. The pass is a perfect, tape-to-tape effort and as the centre receives the puck she shoots it quickly, not allowing the goalie to get set. The mesh ripples. The crowd cheers loudly, and the players all give each other “High Fives”. Sounds like a scene that happens in every rink in every town across the country. But this scene is a little more special… 
