AS the government and civil society groups continue to mobilize to render assistance to the most vulnerable groups in our society who have been greatly affected by the current global coronavirus COVID-19 health pandemic, we must spare a thought for the most vulnerable within that cohort; the homeless.

Everyday we are confronted with the reality that a sizeable minority of our brothers and sisters do not have a home or place to shelter on a permanent basis. What’s more, during the current health crisis and economic downturn, it is only reasonable to assume that the homeless are now perhaps even more vulnerable when considering how much ordinary citizens have been affected by COVID-19.

The reasons why individuals end up on the street are varied and numerous. Indeed, a large percentage of homeless people suffer from some form of diagnosable mental health illness; however, there is also an assumption that many are also drug addicts who ended up on the streets because of drugs and addiction. Whatever the case might be in that regard, there should be system set up to manage those who fall into this category so that they could get the help they need to rehabilitate their lives instead of falling further into poverty and obscurity.

Aside from mental health and addiction problems, many homeless people end up on the streets because of some catastrophic incident which they were unable to control or recover from. Many people who live in poverty or who struggle financially to make ends meet could easily fall into this category if something were to happen which has the effect of disrupting a very precarious financial situation. A fire could have engulfed their home, they may have been evicted due to job loss, they may be fleeing domestic violence or abuse, and the list goes on. Through the myriad of social issues ordinary citizens face in Guyana, one could easily become homeless owing to some unfortunate event.

Reasons for homelessness aside, we must look at what can be done within the existing frameworks to get these people off the streets and into some sort of rehabilitation facility where they might receive counselling, medicine, food and somewhere to call home.

According to the Ministry of Social Protection, the Night Shelter facility is one such place where residents are able to access these services. The Night Shelter rehabilitation programme focuses on addressing the issues which may have led to homelessness, as such, they offer counselling for depression as well as other mental health conditions which are prevalent among residents. The programme also tackles substance abuse and self-care.

Similarly, the Hugo Chavez Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintegration caters to the homeless community. The establishment houses up to 180 persons and has a number of amenities including medical, training and recreational facilities. In early 2018, the centre became fully self-sufficient owing to the implementation of the Self-Sufficient Agricultural Economic Services Project which sees the Centre produce its own organic vegetables, chickens and fish. Residents are heavily involved in the management and operation of the initiative.

Since the onslaught of COVID-19, we have seen the plethora of non-governmental organisations and other civil society groups do their part to assist those who are less fortunate, including those who are homeless. These organisations have donated food, sanitization products and other amenities to the homeless. However, more can be done.

The government has taken extraordinary measures in order to respond to the COVID-19 health pandemic and with all the international aid that is being sent our way, we may do well to invest in more facilities to shelter homeless people, especially at this time.

We need to adopt more creative approaches to tackling these issues. There are a number of derelict buildings all around Georgetown which could be refurbished in order to house the homeless. In the same way the government has commissioned the refurbishment of the Ocean View Hotel to be a COVID-19 hospital, perhaps we could find the funds to do something similar for the homeless. Unlike COVID-19 which will come and go, homelessness has remained a problem in our society for too long.

Finally, though we are confronted with this scourge on a daily basis, it makes it no less uncomfortable to walk past homeless people and ignore their plight. We often feel guilty that perhaps we are unable to do anything to help these individuals. Let us turn that guilt into action and as brothers and sisters of this great nation, let us do more for our neighbours. A bottle of water, a meal, a blanket or even a conversation could make a difference.