A commentary by a Victoria resident.

Recalling her own family’s tragic experience with addiction — and our government’s utter incapacity to tackle the problem — a letter-writer wonders: “But what’s to be done?”

Good question, since nearly every large community reports problems with addictions, ­homelessness or both.

As the writer points out, nothing we try seems to work. Despite billions spent on health care and law enforcement, successive governments — federal and provincial — have failed to turn the tide of fortune for some of our most vulnerable neighbours.

Over time, if it seems ­government responses to ­addictions and ­homelessness (whether compassionate or ­punitive) have improved ­nothing, perhaps then this might be a clue that solutions to addiction and homelessness lie somewhere other than with our governments.

If not governments, then who?

Decades of good research show us that what leads ­people to become entrenched in h­omelessness and addiction most often begins with patterns of adverse childhood experiences (ACE).

Before many children even enter school, they have witnessed or experienced poverty, neglectful or abusive parenting, family violence and even sexual abuse.

Then, herded into ­classrooms, affected children are ­shepherded through public school systems, which barely help the “good” kids succeed, leaving........

© Times Colonist