Fang-Tsuang Lu
Abstract- In many advanced welfare countries, the number of homeless people is increasing year by year and has become a major social issue. In addition to government social welfare programs, there are many non-governmental organizations in many countries that help homeless people with their own care methods. Most governmental and non-governmental organizations in their countries provide relief services. Also because of the relief assistance model and good welfare, the number of homeless people continues to increase. Furthermore, because these relief care models are not comprehensively planned by the government and are fragmented, they cannot solve the problem of homelessness. This study refers to some examples of homeless care integrated by national systems, such as the McKee Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, Housing First, and Opening Doors programs in the United States, and the government-planned programs in Japan of two-stage process of public-private cooperation to assist the homeless as well as 1.2 million HDBs flats（Housing Development Board）in Singapore. This study compares the advantages and disadvantages of the above-mentioned countries, further analyzes the structure of homeless people in these countries, and then proposes six viewpoints on how homeless people can live and work in peace and contentment and help them become self-reliant. The author was the leader of TIMA free medical team in north Taiwan and has been caring for the health of the homeless in Taipei City since 1997. The services for the homeless include providing free clinics and health screenings to the homeless, caring at homeless shelters once a week, offering homeless shower van itinerant around homeless mobility area and dental itinerant medical van making complete dentures for aged homeless people. With more than two decades of experience in caring for the homeless, the author hope to provide comprehensive constructive suggestions to the enthusiastic people who care about this social issue.
