Poverty is a serious problem in Canada that needs to be addressed promptly. Poverty is not simply about the lack of money an individual has; it's much more than that. The World Bank Organization defines poverty by stating that “Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is getting sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, it is fear for the future, living day by day." In Canada, as reported by Statistics Canada, 14.9% of the Canadian population has a low income, or approximately two million Canadians in poverty or on the brink of poverty. Furthermore, according to a UNICEF survey, 13.3% of Canadian children live in poverty. If the government had started providing effective support to help reduce poverty rates, this would not have been such a significant problem in Canada. Although the problem of poverty has always affected countries, regardless of efforts made to combat it, the Canadian government still needs to take charge and try to reduce the poverty rate to ensure that Canada is a suitable place to live. . Therefore, due to the lack of support and social assistance from the government, poverty has increased dramatically in Canada. For starters, poor housing conditions in Canada are one of the main reasons for the increase in poverty. Homeless shelters in Canada are poorly accessible as space in these shelters is very limited. Because shelters don't have enough beds and space for all the homeless, many homeless people have to sleep outside or wherever they can find shelter. This causes an increase in poverty as homeless people are unable to...... middle of paper ......om and as a result most people from poor backgrounds will not be employed. The poor have the education and skills needed to work in these large companies, but they are highly criticized because of their status. Therefore, the way the system is set up, there will always be poor and rich unless the government starts addressing this problem. In conclusion, homelessness has had a great impact on our society. It is a serious problem in our society that is not experienced by choice. Homelessness is an unpleasant experience for people forced to deal with the lack of adequate and affordable housing, inadequate housing conditions and the problem of economic inequality. The Government of Canada needs to step up and start addressing this issue as soon as possible. The only way poverty will stop increasing in Canada is through support and social assistance from the Canadian government.