The growing number of people sleeping on KuGompo City’s pavements, under bridges and in public spaces is a visible reminder that homelessness is no longer a problem that can be ignored.
As the Daily Dispatch reported this week, community organisations have noticed a sharp increase over the past few months, particularly during winter, while the Buffalo City Metro itself has acknowledged that homelessness is a growing social challenge driven by a range of socioeconomic factors.
It’s encouraging that the issue is again receiving public attention, but it is equally concerning that discussions about solutions appear to be going around in circles.
The provincial social development department has committed itself to developing a homeless shelter strategy for three consecutive years, yet no tangible outcome has materialised.
That is not merely an administrative failure. It represents three years in which vulnerable people have continued sleeping outdoors while government planning remained exactly that — planning.
At the same time, it would be simplistic to suggest that building a shelter alone would solve homelessness.
A shelter is an emergency response, not a permanent solution.
People become homeless for many reasons, including unemployment, family breakdown, substance abuse, mental health challenges and the shortage of affordable housing.
Treating every person on the street as though they have arrived there for the same reason guarantees failure.
What is needed is a co-ordinated strategy involving social development, health services, law enforcement, human settlements, nonprofit organisations and faith-based groups.
Each has a role to play, but too often they work in isolation.
Without a shared plan, individuals move between agencies without ever moving off the streets.
The city also needs reliable information.
Before resources can be allocated effectively, authorities need a clear understanding of who is homeless, why they are homeless and what interventions are most likely to help them.
Evidence should guide policy rather than assumptions.
Residents, too, have a role. Compassion and public safety are not mutually exclusive.
People deserve to feel safe in parks and public spaces, but those living on the streets also deserve to be treated with dignity.
The answer cannot be to simply move homeless people from one neighbourhood to another, where the problem becomes someone else’s concern.
The increasing visibility of homelessness should serve as a wake-up call.
KuGompo City does not need another year of promised strategies.
It needs an actionable plan with clear responsibilities, measurable targets and sustained political commitment.
Until that happens, the number of people sleeping rough is unlikely to decline, and the city will continue managing the symptoms while leaving the underlying causes untouched.
Daily Dispatch
