How my entry works, what makes it novel, how it would be produced, and where it would be applied.

The problem with homelessness in Canada is that we provide the same resources to all homeless people. My app will help to document and categorize the reason why someone is homeless and provide them the correct type of shelter and assistance. For example, we need to stop believing that all homeless people face the same issues. The app will divide homeless people into categories based on needs and this way support is better suited to the root cause of the homelessness. For example, putting unemployed families in housing that are full of drug users is not the solution. Unemployed families require different supports than persons who are permanently disabled and will be addicted to drugs for a very long time maybe even the rest of their life. Our current social housing system and shelter program does not adequately keep track of how many people are homeless and for what reason. My app will collect this data and provide better suited help to those in need.

Innovation- this design is novel because previous governments have failed to adequately meet the needs of the homeless population, because there is a mindset that all homeless people have the same needs, and the reason for their homelessness is the same. This is not true. People are homeless for short term, and long term, for health reasons, or for bad luck reasons. My idea is an advancement over previous systems because I treat homeless people as individuals, and I will build a profile on each person in order to tailor assistance and support based on the person’s needs.

Feasibility/Manufacturability- this app would be very easy to create, we simply need to build a social media type of database, and then sell the product to various governments for implementation. Yes, it is cost-effectively manufactured/produced. This product is guaranteed to work because if homeless people were given more adequate supports, then we could help them better. For example, providing free shelter in a hotel for someone with a permanent mental illness is not a good idea. This person requires a more medical living arrangement. However, a healthy homeless person who had simply experienced some bad luck would benefit more from free hotel stays then someone suffering from a permanent illness.

Marketability- this idea is very practical, and it can be implemented to provide better support to the most vulnerable in our society. Yes, there is a well-defined, significant market for its use, specifically local governments who fund homeless programs with tax money.