Striving for the socially sustainable ideal: how homelessness is addressed in St. John's, Newfoundland

In the ideal socially sustainable city, no one would go without. Social problems like poverty and its most visible form - homelessness - would not exist. In the real present-day city, however, homelessness does exist. This thesis examines how homelessness, one symptom of a lack of social sustainability, is addressed in the City of St. John's, based on an interpretation of data from 28 agencies that form a part of the system of supports for the homeless. It also examines the effects of social policy on the emergence of homelessness and on the system of supports that has evolved to address it. -- Although there are a number of issues, specific to St. John's, that remain challenges to addressing homelessness, the results of this study reveal that homelessness in St. John's is similar to homelessness elsewhere. In this case study, St. John's is making socially sustainable gains at the front-line, agency level. It is working towards the ideal