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Have you ever found yourself walking along a walkway in Toronto or any City in Canada where you come face to face with a person holding their hands out or a cup hoping for some change? How did you react?
Ignore them, stare at them in disgust, feel sorry for them but not donate to their cause of survival?
Don’t feel bad about your response, unless you became abusive or violent towards these individuals. Then I put a cures upon you, and hope that you will suffer the consequences of your actions. I believe ignoring whose before you is the top option taken, followed by a limited drop of change that may buy them a coffee perhaps. Feeling bad about what you do, or did not do  is both naturally human and conscience driven.
Canada has not done very well for the homeless and destitute of our society. I do not mean Canadians have not spent large amounts of money to help these individuals, because all levels of our government’s have spent hundreds of millions of dollars doing just that. I suggest the empathy we have for these individuals and families has not been though out very well, or at least not expanded to where it should have gone.
We naturally react to problems before us. We recognize a challenge, possibly study it, then go to our experts and ask what we are to do. Well we have reacted, gone to the “specialists” sector to be directed towards a quick, temporary ” make us feel good” solution.  What is need is a planned long term response to this challenge.
The homeless, destitute, mentally ill and transient make tent cities in our urban centers. We do much to assist them and then dissuade them in staying in these difficult area’s. After every attempt over time to assist them, our police are directed by our political elites to empty those parks. Violence and misunderstandings abound. The Rich vs the poor becomes a rallying cry for the sector that cares for these people.
Years ago the Ontario Government closed many mental health institutions through out the province, making hundreds of individuals basically homeless. Services and shelters were offered to these people, but hardly used. Our governments either totally misunderstand these individuals or just don’t care. Shelters can be very crowded places to live, and violence happens often among the clients there. How can you go to a therapist when you are trying to survive in the city? The very stresses and mishaps that lead individuals to homelessness and mental problems becomes more pronounced because of the governments empathetic reactions. Every effort made by a government is intended to be temporary.
Think issues out and then act. Always develop long term strategies that are usually more effective and also less costly. Invest in people, don’t coddle them and offer trinkets of consolation.
Homelessness: A multi governmental effort must be made with direct ownership investments by municipal, provincial and federal governments to develop and build REAL AFFORDABLE HOYUSING. You have seen what private developers have to offer us, solutions that are never really affordable, always centered upon immediate profitability. We must center our efforts upon our neighbors first, and possible long term profits later. Call upon our “so called specialists” to offer how and what affordable housing should look like for young, old, disadvantaged and disabled clients. Finding pre existing governmental properties, with their building housing is an immediate asset.
Mentally Challenged: The most pronounced question given has been what can we do for these clients?What indeed. 1st off we need to get many of these people off the street. In -30 degree’s winters staying out there is suicidal yes? Therefore police and medical teams can arrest if necessary those individuals truly in need of assistance. Encourage all others to participate in our efforts to help them. A firm protocol must be established where clients enter our program’s must receive due process….
Initial evaluation of the persons situation A full evaluation of their medical and mental healthplacement to respectful accommodation with supervision.three month program to assist initial addiction, mental and associated conditions.follow up evaluations to individuals progress. 
The process is cyclical in nature. If more help needed it will be provided. Multiple hiring of therapists, psychologists, specialty teachers, social workers and trades personnel newly graduating from our colleges and universities will be required.
Instead of putting bandages upon individuals lives we will put full investments into each and everyone.Pathways to further education, personal development will be encouraged. Many of those without homes will respond well to affordable housing elements that can be rented or owned in time. Youth who may have been driven away from their parental homes can be given a new start in their lives, with direction towards offered employment within this program structure. Those that are unemployable due to their physical, developmental state in life  will be given new opportunities that are not based upon stereo types. A persons offered gifts and abilities will be used to our societal benefit.
If you were to compare the costs of maintaining these people as we have been doing for multiple generations and what the cost would be should we invest in long term solutions for our neighbor’s in need, there will be no doubt of how we should proceed.
For those of you who will certainly ask how are we going to afford these services and investments, and You know who you are.  I’d like to say that most Canadians would prefer investing in community/persons before investing in a thing. Governmental and Public Corporate Bonds with good returns will be offered. I would hope the type of “homes” our agencies would design and build would be uniquely world class. This could show the world that Canadian’s can and will stand above the rest of the world as empathic innovator’s of what is humanly excellent in Canada.