Unique report outlines perils of living on street

An article from the Winnipeg Free Press
April 6, 2011

Reliance on charity-based shelters means the root of the problem goes unaddressed.
The Winnipeg Street Health Report, conducted for the Main Street Project, makes a strong case for a new strategy -- public investment in a "housing first" model used in other jurisdictions.

Some highlights:

According to the survey, homeless Winnipeggers are:

• Twenty times as likely to have hepatitis C
• Eight times as likely to have epilepsy
• Six times as likely to have angina
• Five times as likely to have migraine headaches
• Three times as likely to have a heart attack

Homeless women:

• 46 per cent said they were physically assaulted in the past year
• 40 per cent felt unsafe in emergency shelters
• 15 per cent reported having a baby while homeless

-- source: Winnipeg Street Health Report, 2011

Winnipeg Street Health Report, 2011 is a 48 page downloadable document.
Main Street Project - Winnipeg, Manitoba