EngineeringStrategies and Practice

UniversityofToronto
FacultyofAppliedScienceandEngineering
APS111&APS113
ProblemStatement&Questions(PSQ)
Date

19September,2013

ProjectTitle

MinistryofHealthandLongTermCare&CityofToronto
EmergencyHousingforTorontosHomeless

ClientName

HonorableDebMatthews,MPP

ClientContact

MinistryofHealthandLongTermCare
Email:
Deb.MatthewsMPP@LAO.Ontario.Gov

TutorialSection

Tutorial21

TeachingAssistant

TuckVoonHow

CommunicationInstructor MinaArakawa
PreparedBy
(NameandStudent#)

ParthaSarathiKuri
1000260415

Pleasecheckoffwhichcomponentsyouaresubmittingforyourassignment:
_*_PSQAssignmentinone (FilerenamedtoFinalVersion)
document(file)withthe
followingcomponents:
_*_CoverPage
_*_ProblemStatement
_*_ThreeQuestions

_*_ReferenceList
_*_ResearchWorksheet

_*_TurnitinSubmission

ProblemStatement
TheOntarioMinistryofHealthandLongTermCareaimsatbeingwellequippedtocontrolthe
outbreaksofcontagiousdiseaseswithinthehomelesspopulationofToronto.Atleast200,000
Canadiansexperiencehomelessnessinanygivenyear.5,052homelesspeopleliveonthe
streetsandinsheltersacrossToronto[1][2].Homelessnessisadevastatingsocialproblemin
Toronto.In1998,Torontoendorsedadeclarationacknowledgingthathomelessnessisanational
disaster[3].Consideringtheirhealthissues,athirdoftherecentcasesofactiveTuberculosis
(TB)wereamonghomelessandunderhousedpeoplelivinginsheltersorroominghouses[3].
Theyhavemuchpoorerhealthandhighermortalityratesthanthegeneralpopulation,andoften
experiencedifficultiesobtainingadequateshelter,healthcareandsocialservices,asaresultof
whichtheyaremoresusceptibletonegativeoutcomesconnectedtotheirhealthandlivelihood
[3].Theseactionsneedmoretimefortheirproperimplementationsincethespreadof
contagiousdiseasescouldresulttoanoutbreakofanepidemic.Unaffordablehousingin
Toronto,aswellasthecutsonthenewhousingstabilizationfundbythegovernmentwillleadto
increasedhomelessness[4][5].Thereisanabsenceofappropriatehousingcentresforthe
homelesswithpropermedicationfacilities,includingsupervisionandsupportbymedical
experts.
The major constraints of this problem is theavailability of appropriate medicines and antibiotics
against drugresistantmicrobescausingthecontagiousdiseaseslikeTB[7].Thebasicapproach
to the designis to eradicatesocial and medical constraints such as to give equal rights for the
homeless for educational and medical facilities.The major functionhereinvolvessupportingand
securing the homeless population, in both social and medical means tocontrol the outbreak of
the ailments. Hence the objectives tothisproblemincludesawarenesscreationtotransformthe
homeless community into a social community with proper rights over public, educational and
health facilities, prevention of poor nutrition, reduction in theriskofinfection[7],affordablesocial
housing whichcouldbefundedbythegovernment,withtheaccessibilitytoHealthCards[3],with
proper hospitalising facilities for ill patients [8]. The objective goal mainly focuseson the quick
and effective implementation of the awareness and housing design. It is hence essential to
balancethesocialneedsandhealthofthehomelessforabettersociety.

Questionsforclient
1.Wasthelackoftheavailabilityofthemedicationagainstthedrugresistantmicrobescausing
ailmentsliketuberculosis,amajorissuewhentherewerenopossiblesignsofoutbreakof
contagiousdiseasesamongthehomelesspopulation?

2.WhataretheprobabledifficultiestobefacedbyTheOntarioMinistryofHealthwhile
supportingthehomelesspeopleinbothsocialandmedicalmeansinordertoensuretheir
safety?

3.Isthepriorityonlytokeepthehomelessawayfromtheoutbreakofthecontagiousdiseases,
oralsotosupportthemfinanciallytohelpthemexcelinthevariousfieldsinthesociety?

References
[1]CBCNews.(2013,Jun.19).Surveycounts5,052homelessinToronto[Online].Available:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/surveycounts5052homelessintoronto1.574354
[2]CBCNews(2013,Jun.19).30,000Canadiansarehomelesseverynight[Online].Available:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/30000canadiansarehomelesseverynight1.14130
[3]K.ErikaandM.Kate.(2007)TheHealthofTorontosHomelessPopulation,TheStreet
HealthReport,2007,Chapter2.2[Online].Available:
http://www.homelesshub.ca/ResourceFiles/Documents/2.2%20Street%20Health%20Report.
pdf
[4]R.Alyson.(2013,Jan.17).SpecialtotheStar[Online].Available:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/01/17/34_homeless_die_in_toronto_in_2012_the_mo
st_in_five_years.html
[5]D.Janet.(2013,Jan.17).[Online].Available:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/01/17/34_homeless_die_in_toronto_in_2012_the_mo
st_in_five_years.html
[6]D.NormanC.(n.d.)TheCanadianEncyclopedia[Online].Available:
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/tuberculosis
[7]B.Meg.(Mar.2000).HealthHomelessnessandHumanServicesaHealthService
Response[Online].Available:
http://www.sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au/Publications/Homelessness_Health/HSreport.pdf
[8]D.RaoultandC.FoucaultandP.Brouqui.(2001,Sep.1).Infectionsinthehomeless[Online].
Available:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11871479

Research Worksheet
Name, student number, date research completed
Partha Sarathi Kuri, 1000260415, 24 September 2013
Short description of research material (e.g. title, subject)
The Health of Torontos Homeless Population
The Street Health Report , 2007
Chapter 2.2
The above is a chapter drawn from The Street Health Report (2007) , prepared by
Erika Khandor and Kate Mason
Citation in IEEE format for Reference list
[3] K. Erika and M.Kate (2007) The Health of Torontos Homeless Population , The
Street Health Report, 2007, Chapter 2.2 [Online]. Available:
http://www.homelesshub.ca/ResourceFiles/Documents/2.2%20Street%20Health
%20Report.pdf
Why is this the best source for this information?
The Street Health Report , 2007 provides a detailed report with appropriate statistics
and survey on the homeless population in Toronto. Information in it ranges from
their social life to their health issues . It broadly delineates the various issues and
problems in the life of the homeless and the need to provide them with financial,
social and medical support. These facts and statistics help in progressing through the
problem statement, by properly analyzing the particular needs and issues of the
affected homeless community of Toronto.
What are possible problems, including interest (concern) and biases of source?
The source draws equal attention to the social status and health of the homeless by
comparing and contrasting with the general population. In the health section, The
source puts forward its statistics on various factors that affect the health of the
homeless . In the later sections it is stated in the report that they dont get medical
care mostly because they have lower sense of entitlement and lower expectations
about their health and their right to access care, which they relate it to their difficult
5

living situations, since they dont have luxury of addressing preventive health care.
This is a bias since the homeless do not have the complete awareness of both their
social rights as human beings , as well as on the contagious diseases. The homeless
need not have adequate wealth to get proper medical attention, they require specific
attention from the Health department of the city as well as proper treatment and
security.

Summary of information
The problem statement deals with the homeless population in Toronto and the need of
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care to control the outbreaks of various
contagious diseases within them. The problem statement compared the living
situations of the homeless with the common population of Torornto and the absence
of medical awareness and attention. It also highlighted homelessness as a social
problem. It identified the gap as lack of appropriate housing centres with trained
volunteers and medical experts and brought about drug resistant microbes, example
tuberculosis , as a major constraint. The functions involve supporting the homeless
and securing their medical health and social life, with the objectives of creating
health, community and educational awareness, preventing poor nutrition and
reducing the risk of infection, as well as plan an affordable social housing with the
necessary facilities. These objectives are achieved with the goal of quick and effective
implementation of the awareness and housing design.