I think we are now in a position to really frame what is needed since we've started with the homeless, and one former homeless person, Wayne MacNaughton, who is our co-chair on our committee, describes it best. He says what homeless people have in common is only that they are homeless. The rest is that they are individuals dealing with different problems.
So let's look at the numbers here. We looked at 158 individuals here in Halifax, and it's probably the same for other cities. Twenty-five per cent were just evicted. They didn't need any support services, they just needed eviction prevention measures. There are others. Over 60% have mental health issues. Light support systems could be fine for some. Some have very high support needs--this might be 10%. So we really have to look at the individuals to deal with it.
Fortunately, the non-profit sector knows what is needed and they can provide adequate services. We just have to enable them to deliver the programs.