Tackling homelessness

Jul 15, 2025 Editorial, News

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Kaieteur News – Amid the lavish spending on infrastructure here and other expensive projects, there is a growing segment of society that if not attended to will become a major problem on our hand. It would appear, that the government does not have any comprehensive policy to deal with vagrancy in our country.

A walk around Georgetown should be relaxing, if one ignores the traffic, but traffic is an issue in just about every city in the world. Being in the heart of the city, it is possible to drift off into a locality where all is well with the sophistication of technology in the 21st century. All around the city are marvellous concrete structures designed for a modern beautiful city in which all can be proud.

But then that image disappears in a flash as stench drifts insolently from the pavements and gutters as some poor souls who do not have a place of their own, lie comfortably in broad daylight on pieces of cardboard, either asleep or pretending to be. These unfortunate individuals have found themselves in a situation that is shocking and this could happen to anyone.

In the heart of Georgetown, around the markets, under bridges, on the decrepit pavilions of D’Urban Park and even on Regent Street in front of supermarkets, men, women, and children are living without shelter, safety, or dignity. It is a national tragedy and one that demands more than just sympathy. It demands action. For a nation with aspirations of development and prosperity—buoyed by newfound oil wealth and economic promise—Guyana cannot afford to ignore the most vulnerable among us. The faces of homelessness are varied: the mentally ill, the elderly with no family support, victims of domestic abuse, former prisoners, and even young people who have aged out of State care. Each has a story, and each has been failed in some way by the systems meant to protect them.

The homeless are very close to us, daily. They are present in just about every place that is visited, traveled to and from, stopped at, and even avoided. With all the instinctive familiarity with and knowledge of the ways of the street, they direct their energies and presence to get there, be there and, sometimes, menace there. These would be growing individual and clustered presences of the homeless roaming the streets and alarming citizens, including fellow streetwalkers. Many citizens are fearful, especially the womenfolk, since they have to be watchful, on high alert. This is not the healthiest state of existence, when the routine affairs of life become so tormenting.

The apprehensions over being victims of violent crime that could lurk anywhere are further intensified by the wretched brethren, who make the naked street their home. They could be menacing presences sometimes, where ‘no’ or silence or simply ignoring or going along one’s way may not be the safest of situations. For anyone of those hurried responses offered in the mildest of tones could trigger a range of trouble, which includes the abusive, the vulgar, the intimidating, and ultimately unnerving.
These fallen fellow citizens have nothing to lose. Some have already lost to the demands of life, whether it was lived here or overseas. In terms of the latter, more than a few are involuntary returnees, who have missed out the grand chance that many crave for, are doomed to, or have settled for – an existence on the street that hurtles ever downward.

The causes of homelessness in Guyana are complex and deeply intertwined. A lack of affordable housing, insufficient mental health services, rising unemployment, and a fragile social safety net have all contributed to this reality. While the government and several NGOs have taken steps—such as the Night Shelter and food distribution programmes, these measures are not nearly enough to address the scale of the problem.

What’s more troubling is the stigma. Homeless individuals are often treated as nuisances or criminals rather than citizens in need of support. The prevailing attitude is that homelessness is the result of laziness or personal failure. This is both unfair and dangerous. It justifies neglect, and it allows society to turn away from the uncomfortable truth that homelessness is a symptom of broader systemic breakdown.

Guyana must embrace a multi-pronged approach to combat this issue. First, we need stronger investment in social housing and transitional shelters that go beyond providing a bed for the night—they must also offer pathways to stability. Second, mental health and addiction services need to be expanded and integrated into community care. Third, employment programs and vocational training for marginalised groups must be prioritized. And finally, the government must establish a comprehensive national strategy on homelessness—one backed by data, policy, and resources.

It is not enough to give a sandwich or some change and feel we’ve done our part. We must demand better policies, support local initiatives, and shift public perception from blame to compassion. Because the true measure of our development as a nation is not only in GDP or foreign investment, but in how we treat the least among us. Until every citizen has a place to call home, our progress will remain incomplete.

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• Editorial, helpless, HOMELESSNESS, vagrants

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