The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness - Publications

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Open Access
Preventing Youth Homelessness in the Canadian Education System: Young People Speak Out
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2020) Malenfant, Jayne; Schwan, Kaitlin; French, David; Gaetz, Stephen; Redman, Melanie
In Canada, we have primarily responded to youth homelessness reactively rather than proactively. We provide emergency supports to young people once they are already on the streets, missing many opportunities to intervene beforehand. Research also tells us that many public systems (e.g., child welfare, education, criminal justice) contribute to young people’s risk of homelessness. While youth homelessness is often framed as the responsibility of the youth homelessness sector, the truth is that many public systems affect the housing status of young people. Youth who struggle in the education system, have interactions with the law, or are unable to get their healthcare needs met are more likely to experience homelessness. Likewise, housing precarity makes it difficult to find employment, make progress in school, or build supportive social networks. Youth who worry about where they will sleep or if they will be abused each night are less likely to succeed in or benefit from systems that are neither designed for, nor acknowledge, their circumstances. It is time to transform our public systems to improve outcomes for all youth and reduce the risk of homelessness for any young person. This discussion paper is part of a series focused on the important roles that public systems can play in preventing youth homelessness in Canada. The foundation of this paper is What Would it Take? Youth Across Canada Speak Out on Youth Homelessness Prevention, a study conducted by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and A Way Home Canada. As part of this study, over 100 youth with lived experience of homelessness were consulted on how to prevent youth homelessness in Canada. Across 12 communities and 7 provinces and territories, youth told us that public systems should be the engine of youth homelessness prevention in Canada. This discussion paper also builds on previous work conceptualizing prevention, including specifically A New Direction: A Framework for Homelessness Prevention and Coming of Age: Reimagining the Response to Youth Homelessness. This paper also builds on The Roadmap for the Prevention of Youth Homelessness, which provides a definition of youth homelessness prevention, a prevention typology, and a common language for policy and practice in this area. The Roadmap provides a guide for how to implement youth homelessness prevention across the country and beyond, centred on research evidence and the voices of young experts who have experienced homelessness. This series aims to amplify the voices and wisdom of these young people in order to drive public systems change. Through these discussion papers, professionals and policy makers across public systems will be provided with concrete recommendations for how they can participate in youth homelessness prevention. In the context of COVID-19, public systems will be critical to assessing and meeting young peoples’ needs. As the Canadian education system adapts to the pandemic, schools have the opportunity to play an enhanced role in the lives of youth and families who are homeless, precariously housed and/or at-risk of homelessness. Schools need to be adequately resourced and supported by the broader community of services to do this work. This discussion paper outlines some key avenues for action, grounded in the voices of young people themselves.
Open Access
What Would it Take? Youth Across Canada Speak Out on Youth Homelessness Prevention
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2018) Schwan, Kaitlin; Gaetz, Stephen; French, David; Redman, Melanie; Thistle, Jesse A.; Dej, Erin
Are we making significant headway on youth homelessness in Canada? Are we stopping young people from becoming homeless? Are we ensuring that young people transition out of homelessness quickly, and that they do not become homeless again? It is time that we started taking a good, hard look at these questions. In our efforts to end homelessness, we have primarily focused on providing emergency services and supports to young people while they are homeless. Unfortunately, this hasn’t gotten us the results we want. Youth homelessness in Canada is an ongoing problem for which we seem to be making slow but insufficient progress. It is time to consider a new approach – the prevention of youth homelessness. The What Would it Take? study asked young people with lived experience of homelessness: what would it take to prevent youth homelessness in Canada? Between July 2017 and January 2018, A Way Home Canada and the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness consulted with youth across Canada to ask: - What would have prevented your homelessness? - What programs, policies, services, and supports are needed to prevent youth homelessness? - What do you want to tell the Canadian government about preventing youth homelessness? - How do you want to be involved in making change on this issue? The purpose of this report is to amplify the voices, insights, and wisdom of these young people in order to drive policy and practice change. In our efforts to end homelessness, we have primarily focused on providing emergency services and supports to young people while they are homeless. While this is important and generally well-meaning, we need to question whether this is enough; whether waiting for young people to become homeless before we help them is both sufficient and the right thing to do. In considering how we might reform our response to youth homelessness, young people with lived experience of homelessness need to have their voices heard. Their valuable insights drawn from their experiences can challenge our current thinking and point to a new approach that more effectively helps young people before they end up on the streets. Read the report for youth insights on how we can prevent youth homelessness in Canada.
Open Access
Mental Health Care for Homeless Youth: A Proposal for Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Leadership, Coordination, and Targeted Investment - Executive Summary
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Schwan, Kaitlin; Kidd, Sean; Gaetz, Stephen; O'Grady, Bill; Redman, Melanie
With the release of Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey (2016), we now have national data on youth homelessness for the first time in Canada. The mental health findings of this report are startling: - 85.4% of homeless youth were experiencing a mental health crisis - 42% of homeless youth reported at least one suicide attempt - 35.2% of homeless youth reported having at least one drug overdose requiring hospitalization
Open Access
Mental Health Care for Homeless Youth: A Proposal for Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Leadership, Coordination, and Targeted Investment
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Schwan, Kaitlin; Kidd, Sean; Gaetz, Stephen; O'Grady, Bill; Redman, Melanie
With the release of Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey (2016), we now have national data on youth homelessness for the first time in Canada. The mental health findings of this report are startling: - 85.4% of homeless youth were experiencing a mental health crisis - 42% of homeless youth reported at least one suicide attempt - 35.2% of homeless youth reported having at least one drug overdose requiring hospitalization Youth experiencing the most severe mental health challenges include LGBTQ2S youth, Indigenous youth, and young women. LGBTQ2S youth and Indigenous youth are also more likely to attempt suicide, become homeless at a young age, and have multiple experiences of homelessness. Falling Short: Youth Homelessness as Systems Failure Homeless youth in Canada often struggle to access appropriate services that are equipped to support the co-occurring mental health and addictions challenges they face. This is an issue of failed systems and poor coordination across systems. Barriers to appropriate supports include: Variable quality and responsiveness of care, including long waitlists - The segregation of different care systems (e.g., education, health, and social services), and lack of coordination and integration among existing services - Lack of funding and funding disparities, resulting in organizations that are understaffed, lack clinical resources, and are overwhelmed - A focus on emergency care and response, rather than prevention The Need for Government Action to Address the Mental Health Needs of Homeless Youth While mental health and housing status are intimately linked, our policies and programs have been insufficiently funded and coordinated to enable effective, timely, and appropriate care for some of the most marginalized young people in our country. In order to prevent and end youth homelessness in Canada and address the mental health needs of youth who are homeless, two key government actions must be taken: - Federal implementation of a youth homelessness strategy embedded within the renewed federal investment in homelessness, with a special focus on mental health and wellness. - Provincial and territorial implementation of provincial/territorial strategies to prevent and end youth homelessness, ensuring that the mental health needs of youth at a high risk of homelessness and experiencing homelessness are addressed both through these targeted strategies and the federal mental health transfer funds. By employing a systems approach, these efforts can address the need for improved coordination and collaboration across services and sectors to best meet the needs of youth who are homeless. Government leadership and investment in this area will position Canada as an international leader on youth homelessness, youth mental health, and systems integration. Why Now? - Suicide and drug overdose are the leading causes of death for young Canadians who are homeless - Improving a child’s mental health from moderate to high can lead to a lifetime savings of $140,000 - New federal health transfer funds provide provinces and territories the opportunity to invest in mental health services for marginalized youth - Increasing numbers of communities across Canada are adopting youth homelessness strategies - The federal government has declared youth a key priority - The economic cost of mental health problems and illnesses to Canada is at least $50 billion per year in lost productivity - The federal government’s re-investment in HPS provides a crucial opportunity to address youth homelessness Recommendations for Government Government of Canada 1. Federal leadership in the development and implementation of a National Youth Homelessness Strategy to prevent and end youth homelessness, supported by a targeted investment. 2. Federal prioritization and support for systems integration at the provincial, territorial, and community levels to address the mental health needs of youth experiencing homelessness. 3. Federal support for program models that focus on prevention and rapid exits from homelessness for youth, within which strategies for addressing the mental health needs of youth should be embedded. 4. Federal adoption of a youth-centered approach to addressing youth homelessness, grounded in human rights. 5. Federal commitment to addressing the unique needs of diverse youth experiencing homelessness, as reflected in both policy and funding. 6. Federal adoption of a national research strategy focused on youth homelessness in order to advance an integrated systems response, within which a mental health strategy is embedded in all elements. Provincial and Territorial Governments 1. Provincial and territorial development and implementation of strategies to prevent and end youth homelessness, supported by a targeted investment. 2. Provincial and territorial prioritization and support for systems integration in all efforts to address the mental health needs of youth experiencing homelessness. 3. Provincial and territorial support for program models that focus on prevention and rapid exits from homelessness, within which strategies for addressing the mental health needs of youth should be embedded. 4. Provincial and territorial adoption of a youth-centered approach to addressing youth homelessness, grounded in human rights. 5. Provincial and territorial commitment to ensuring that all provincial, territorial, and community strategies and program responses address the unique needs of diverse youth experiencing homelessness. 6. Provincial and territorial knowledge development and data management specific to youth homelessness in order to advance an integrated systems response, with a special focus on youth’s mental health and wellness.
Open Access
A New Direction: A Framework for Homelessness Prevention
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Gaetz, Stephen; Dej, Erin
Prevention makes sense. To prevent disease, we vaccinate. To prevent traffic deaths, we install seat belts. While we recognize intuitively that preventing homelessness is a good idea, there has been little movement in Canada to make that happen on a national scale. A New Direction: A Framework for Homelessness Prevention sets out to provide the language and clarity to begin that conversation. Since mass homelessness emerged in the mid-1980s, we have largely used emergency services to respond to people’s immediate needs. While we will always need emergency services to help those in crisis, over time these short-term responses have become the standard method for managing homelessness long-term. In the last decade, Canadian policies and practices have begun to shift from managing homelessness to finding solutions, in particular the expansion of the Housing First approach across the country. The Housing First model provides housing and supports for people experiencing chronic homelessness with no housing readiness requirements. New research, innovation, and best practices have propelled our thinking to make the goal of ending homelessness realistic; however, we are still missing an important piece – preventing homelessness in the first place. Why must we wait until people are entrenched in homelessness before offering help? In A New Direction: A Framework for Homelessness Prevention, we set out to uncover what it will take to stop homelessness before it starts, to avoid its often-traumatizing effects. The aim of the framework is to begin a nation-wide conversation on what prevention looks like, and what it will take to shift toward homelessness prevention. Using international examples, the framework operationalizes the policies and practices necessary to successfully prevent homelessness and highlights who is responsible. Above all, it situates prevention within a human rights approach. Now is the time to prioritize homelessness prevention.
Open Access
Child Welfare and Youth Homelessness in Canada: A Proposal for Action - Executive Summary
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Nichols, Naomi; Schwan, Kaitlin; Gaetz, Stephen; Redman, Melanie; French, David; Kidd, Sean; O'Grady, Bill
With the release of Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey (2016), we now have robust national data on youth homelessness for the first time in Canada. The research findings on the relationship between youth homelessness and child welfare involvement are unsettling.
Open Access
Child Welfare and Youth Homelessness in Canada: A Proposal for Action
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Nichols, Naomi; Schwan, Kaitlin; Gaetz, Stephen; Redman, Melanie; French, David; Kidd, Sean; O'Grady, Bill
With the release of Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey (2016), we now have robust national data on youth homelessness for the first time in Canada. The research findings on the relationship between youth homelessness and child welfare involvement are unsettling: - 57.8% of youth experiencing homelessness reported some type of involvement with child protection services over their lifetime. - 63.1% of youth who are homeless report experiencing childhood trauma, abuse, and/or neglect - a key cause of involvement with child welfare. - 73.3% of youth who became homeless before the age of 16 reported involvement with child protection services. - Compared to the general public (Statistics Canada, 2011), youth experiencing homelessness are 193 times more likely to have been involved with the child welfare system than the general public. - 31.5% of youth who are homeless report their first contact with the welfare system at the age of 6, with 53% reporting continued involvement beyond the age of 16. - Indigenous youth make up 7% of the total population of young Canadians, yet make up half of individuals involved in child protection services (Statistics Canada, 2011). Importantly, Without a Home also found that youth facing structural and systemic disadvantage (e.g., poverty, racism, homophobia) are more likely to experience both child welfare involvement and homelessness. For example, data indicates that LGBTQ2S, transgender, and gender nonbinary youth are more likely to have had child welfare involvement than cisgender and straight homeless youth.
Open Access
Définition de l’itinérance chez les Autochtones au Canada
(Presses de l’Observatoire canadien sur l’itinérance, 2017) Thistle, Jesse A.
L’itinérance chez les Autochtones est une condition humaine décrivant le manque de logement stable, permanent et adéquat des individus, familles ou communautés des Premières nations, des Métis et des Inuits, ou le manque de possibilité immédiate, de moyens ou de la capacité d’acquérir un logement. À la différence de la définition colonialiste commune de l’itinérance, l’itinérance chez les Autochtones ne se définit pas par un manque de structures ou de logement, mais se décrit plutôt et se comprend pleinement à travers une lentille composite de visions du monde autochtone. Celles-ci incluent des individus, des familles et des communautés séparés de leurs relations avec la terre, l’eau, leur région, leur famille, leurs semblables, les autres, les animaux, leurs cultures, leurs langues et leurs identités. Les Autochtones vivant ces types d’itinérance ne peuvent pas se reconnecter culturellement, spirituellement, émotionnellement ou physiquement avec leur identité autochtone ou leurs relations perdues (Aboriginal Standing Committee on Housing and Homelessness, 2012).
Open Access
Indigenous Definition of Homelessness in Canada
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Thistle, Jesse A.
Indigenous homelessness is a human condition that describes First Nations, Métis and Inuit individuals, families or communities lacking stable, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means or ability to acquire such housing. Unlike the common colonialist definition of homelessness, Indigenous homelessness is not defined as lacking a structure of habitation; rather, it is more fully described and understood through a composite lens of Indigenous worldviews. These include: individuals, families and communities isolated from their relationships to land, water, place, family, kin, each other, animals, cultures, languages and identities. Importantly, Indigenous people experiencing these kinds of homelessness cannot culturally, spiritually, emotionally or physically reconnect with their Indigeneity or lost relationships (Aboriginal Standing Committee on Housing and Homelessness, 2012).
Open Access
Understanding Mothers Experiencing Homelessness: A Gendered Approach to Finding Solutions to Family Homelessness
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Milaney, Katrina; Ramage, Kaylee; Fang, Xiao Yang; Louis, Marilyn
This report examines social experiences for mothers and children who are experiencing homelessness in two shelters and one housing program in Calgary, Alberta. Currently, much of the research on homelessness and what works for supporting individuals into sustainable housing comes from research on the single, adult, male population. This study provides evidence to better understand how families become homeless, and the experiences of mothers and children as they move within various public systems while dealing with a history of violence, trauma, and poverty. We conclude with several recommendations, from an asset- or strength-based approach, to reduce structural barriers, bridge gaps between public systems, increase access and availability of supports and ensure cultural supports and trauma-informed care is at the root of interventions for vulnerable women and children.
Open Access
Leading the Way: Reimagining Federal Leadership on Preventing Homelessness
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Gaetz, Stephen; Dej, Erin; Donaldson, Jesse; Ali, Nadia
Before us is a significant opportunity to reimagine the federal government’s leadership role in homelessness. After more than 25 years of declining spending on affordable housing, the Government of Canada is launching a National Housing Strategy (NHS) with a 10-year investment in expanding the supply of affordable housing and enhancing sustainable longterm housing outcomes for Canadians. A key pillar of the NHS will be a renewal and redesign of the existing Homelessness Partnering Strategy. The last renewal of HPS in 2013 saw the Government of Canada play an important leadership role in mobilizing the results of the At Home/Chez Soi study to expand the implementation of Housing First across Canada – in essence, opening the back door to homelessness. As we turn towards a reimagined national strategy on homelessness, the Government of Canada has an opportunity to show leadership by closing the front door, through supporting a shift to homelessness prevention. This means stopping the flow of individuals and families into homelessness, and at the same time being unwilling to wait for such persons to find themselves in desperate situations — situations that can cause irreparable harm — before we help them exit homelessness. The renewed national strategy on homelessness can help make the shift to prevention through supporting communities to act quickly and creatively, to prevent homelessness before it ever begins. Toward this end, the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH) submits a bold vision for a national initiative on homelessness prevention, within a new national strategy on homelessness. The vision presented here can assist the Government of Canada in its commitment to preventing and ending homelessness for generations to come. In this brief we cover the following: - What is homelessness prevention? - Can the Government of Canada play a leadership role in homelessness prevention? - How can the prevention of homelessness be prioritized within a reimagined national strategy on homelessness?
Open Access
Opportunity Knocks: Prioritizing Canada’s Most Vulnerable Youth
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) French, David; Gaetz, Stephen; Redman, Melanie
In a caring and affluent society like Canada, it is unacceptable that any young person would become entrenched in homelessness as a result of family breakdown and systems failures. Despite little evidence that we are reducing youth homelessness, we continue to rely on crisis responses such as emergency shelters and day programs. Even worse, it is objectionable to simply rely on a crisis response to address the issue, exposing young people to harm and expecting them to “bootstrap” themselves out of homelessness. Numerous studies have demonstrated the harmful consequences of allowing young people to remain in an extended state of homelessness, and yet few communities in Canada have youthspecific systems or strategies to help them transition quickly into housing. In this regard, we are not making sufficient progress and too many young people remain stuck in homelessness. The following brief articulates the vision of a distinct, youth-focused funding stream through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS). It focuses on four strategies: A) Community Planning and Systems Coordination B) Program Interventions C) Governance and Structure D) Data Collection and Research It also introduces youth-centred outcomes that can be supported and leveraged across Federal departments: - Increased housing stability for youth; - Prevention of youth homelessness; - Healthy transitions to adulthood; - Enhanced educational participation and achievement; - Stronger employment and labour market participation outcomes; and - Increased resiliency in homeless youth and youth at risk of becoming homeless. The renewal of the national strategy on homelessness presents a real opportunity to transform how we address youth homelessness in Canada, by moving from managing the crisis and putting young people at great risk, to an approach that focuses on the health and well-being of young people and assisting them to transition to adulthood in a safe and planned manner. The Government of Canada can show great leadership in this regard through making prevention and ending of youth homelessness a priority within the renewed national strategy. This means retaining current investments in Housing First and other community supports but also a dedicated investment in, and prioritization, of youth homelessness.
Open Access
Définition canadienne de l’itinérance chez les jeunes
(2016)
«L’itinérance chez les jeunes» renvoie à la situation et à l’expérience que connaissent des jeunes âgés entre 13 et 24 ans qui vivent indépendamment de leurs parents et/ou gardiens et qui n’ont pas les moyens ni la capacité d’acquérir une résidence stable, sécuritaire et permanente. L’itinérance chez les jeunes est un enjeu social complexe, car en tant que société, nous n’avons pas su fournir aux jeunes et à leurs familles les nécessités et les soutiens nécessaires qui leur permettraient d’aller de l’avant dans leurs vies d’une manière sécuritaire et planifiée. En plus d’éprouver des difficultés économiques et de devoir faire face à l’absence d’un logement sécuritaire, de nombreux jeunes sans abri ne possèdent pas d’expérience personnelle de vie indépendante tout en étant peut-être en proie à des changements développementaux considérables (sociaux, physiques, émotionnels et cognitifs). Par conséquent, ils n’auront peut être pas à leur disposition les ressources, la résilience, l’éducation, les soutiens sociaux et les compétences essentielles nécessaires pour favoriser une transition sûre et stimulante vers l’âge adulte et l’indépendance. Peu de jeunes choisissent de devenir des sans-abri et ne veulent pas qu’on les définisse par leur itinérance, et l’expérience d’itinérance est généralement négative et stressante. L’itinérance chez les jeunes est le déni droits de l’homme fondamentaux1, et lorsqu’elle est identifiée en tant que telle, il importe d’y remédier. Tous les jeunes ont droit aux besoins essentiels de la vie, y compris à un logement adéquat, des aliments, la sécurité, une éducation et la justice.
Open Access
Canadian Definition of Youth Homelessness
(2016)
“Youth homelessness” refers to the situation and experience of young people between the ages of 13 and 24 who are living independently of parents and/or caregivers, but do not have the means or ability to acquire a stable, safe or consistent residence. Youth homelessness is a complex social issue because as a society we have failed to provide young people and their families with the necessary and adequate supports that will enable them to move forward with their lives in a safe and planned way. In addition to experiencing economic deprivation and a lack of secure housing, many young people who are homeless lack the personal experience of living independently and at the same time may be in the throes of significant developmental (social, physical, emotional and cognitive) changes. As a result, they may not have the resources, resilience, education, social supports or life skills necessary to foster a safe and nurturing transition to adulthood and independence. Few young people choose to be homeless, nor wish to be defined by their homelessness, and the experience is generally negative and stressful. Youth homelessness is the denial of basic human rights and once identified as such, it must be remedied. All young people have the right to the essentials of life, including adequate housing, food, safety, education and justice.
Open Access
L’état de l’itinérance au Canada
(2016)
L’itinérance de masse au Canada est apparue dans les années 1980, à la suite d’un désinvestissement massif dans les logements abordables, de changements structurels de l’économie et d’une réduction des dépenses dans le soutien social. Depuis, les intervenants de partout au pays ont testé et analysé des solutions pour lutter contre ce problème. Ces réponses, qui sont surtout fondées sur la prestation de services d’urgence, ont empêché tout progrès significatif. Heureusement, de nombreux signes montrent que nous entrons dans une nouvelle phase – une phase qui nous permettra de mettre fin à l’itinérance au Canada. Cette nouvelle étape est marquée par les résultats prometteurs du modèle Logement d’abord d’un bout à l’autre du pays, des réductions importantes d’itinérance à Medicine Hat et à Hamilton, un intérêt et investissement fédéraux dans le logement et l’itinérance, et plus important encore, le retour d’une Stratégie nationale sur le logement – une conversation qui aurait dû avoir lieu il y a longtemps au Canada. Nous savons que l’élimination de l’itinérance au Canada requiert des partenariats à travers les secteurs publics, privés et à but non lucratif. Cela signifie qu’il faut travailler en amont pour mettre fin à l’itinérance et fournir des logements sécuritaires, adéquats et abordables avec soutiens aux personnes qui vivent l’itinérance. Grâce à l’appui de tous les ordres de gouvernement, à un engagement à fournir des logements en tant que droit de la personne, et à des solutions fondées sur les preuves, nous pouvons collectivement prévenir et mettre fin à l’itinérance. L’État de l’itinérance au Canada 2016 donne la voie à suivre pour réaliser des progrès. Le rapport comprend une série de recommandations pour la Stratégie nationale sur le logement rédigées par l’Observatoire canadien sur l’itinérance et l’Alliance canadienne pour mettre fin à l’itinérance.
Open Access
The State of Homelessness in Canada 2016
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2016) Gaetz, Stephen; Dej, Erin; Richter, Tim; Redman, Melanie
Mass homelessness in Canada emerged in the 1980s, following a massive disinvestment in affordable housing, structural shifts in the economy and reduced spending on social supports. Since then, stakeholders across the country have tried and tested solutions to address the issue. These responses, largely based on the provision of emergency services, have prevented meaningful progress. Fortunately, there are many signs that we are entering a new phase – one that will lead to an end to homelessness in Canada. This next phase is marked by the promising results of the Housing First model across Canada, significant reductions in homelessness in Medicine Hat and Hamilton, federal interest and investment in housing and homelessness, and importantly, the return to a National Housing Strategy – a long overdue conversation in Canada. We know that ending homelessness in Canada requires partnerships across public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. It means working upstream to prevent homelessness, as well as providing safe, appropriate, and affordable housing with supports for those experiencing homelessness. With support from all orders of government, a commitment to housing as a human right, and evidence-based solutions we can, collectively, prevent and end homelessness. The State of Homelessness in Canada 2016 provides a roadmap for the way forward. Including a series of joint recommendations – drafted by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and the Canadian Alliance to end Homelessness – for the National Housing Strategy.
Open Access
Sans domicile : un sondage national sur l’itinérance chez les jeunes
(Observatoire canadien sur l’itinérance, 2016) Gaetz, Stephen; O'Grady, Bill; Kidd, Sean; Schwan, Kaitlin
L’itinérance chez les jeunes demeure un problème qui semble être insoluble au Canada. Nous croyons qu’il y a des solutions à l’itinérance chez les jeunes, et cela signifie que nous devons nous y prendre autrement. Le sondage Sans domicile est la première étude pancanadienne sur les jeunes personnes qui connaissent l’itinérance. Comprenant 1 103 répondants provenant de 49 collectivités différentes de 10 provinces et territoires, l’échantillonnage de cette étude nous a permis de faire une analyse détaillée et de tirer des conclusions importantes. L’étude Sans domicile a démontré que nous attendons bien trop longtemps avant d’intervenir dans l’itinérance chez les jeunes. Dans de nombreuses juridictions, les services aux jeunes qui vivent l’itinérance ne sont pas disponibles jusqu’à ce qu’ils aient 16 ou même 18 ans. Les données présentées ici indiquent que d’ici là, beaucoup de dommages auront déjà été provoqués. Dans le présent rapport, nous avons souligné le besoin d’une approche basée sur la prévention qui priorise l’intégration des systèmes et Logement d’abord pour les jeunes. Les systèmes courants ont tendance à être axés sur la prestation de soutiens en aval, lorsque les jeunes personnes sont bien plus âgées. Au lieu de nous concentrer sur la prévention du problème ou la réduction des conséquences néfastes de l’itinérance chez les jeunes, nous avons plutôt tendance à attendre qu’une rupture ou crise majeures se produisent avant d’intervenir, ou que les problèmes auxquels les jeunes font face deviennent bien plus sévères. Ce rapport démontre très clairement qu’une telle approche donne lieu à des souffrances : précarité du logement, violence, marginalisation, défis de santé et exclusion sociale. En ne mettant pas en place des stratégies plus efficaces pour lutter contre l’itinérance chez les jeunes, nous portons atteinte aux droits humains de ces jeunes. Si nous voulons vraiment que ces jeunes atteignent de meilleurs résultats, nous devons mieux faire. Ce sondage fournit aux décideurs, aux prestataires de services, aux chercheurs et au grand public des informations de base sur l’itinérance chez les jeunes au Canada. Le défi auquel nous faisons face dorénavant est de mobiliser ces connaissances de manière à garantir que chaque jeune personne a accès au logement, la sécurité, l’éducation et les soutiens.
Open Access
Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2016) Gaetz, Stephen; O'Grady, Bill; Kidd, Sean; Schwan, Kaitlin
Youth homelessness continues to be a seemingly intractable problem in Canada. We believe there are solutions, and that means leveraging the best knowledge we have to do things differently. The Without a Home study is the first pan-Canadian study of young people who experience homelessness. With 1,103 respondents from 47 different communities across 10 provinces and territories, this study’s sample size has enabled us to conduct detailed analyses and to draw important conclusions. Without a Home demonstrates that with respect to youth homelessness, we are waiting much too long to intervene. In many jurisdictions, services for young people who experience homelessness are not available until they are 16 or even 18. The evidence presented here suggests that by that time, a lot of damage has already occurred. In this report, we outline the need for a prevention-focused approach that prioritizes systems integration and Housing First for Youth (HF4Y). Our current systems tend to focus on the provision of supports downstream, when young people are much older. Rather than focusing on preventing the problem or reducing the negative outcomes of youth homelessness, we are more likely to wait for a major rupture or crisis, or when the problems facing the youth become much more acute. This report vividly demonstrates the suffering caused by this approach: housing precarity, violence, marginalization, health challenges, and social exclusion. By failing to implement more effective strategies to address youth homelessness, we are undermining the human rights of these youth. If we really want better outcomes for young people, we must do better. This survey provides policy makers, service providers, researchers, and the general public with some important baseline information about youth homelessness in Canada. The challenge we face now is mobilizing this knowledge to ensure that each and every young person has access to housing, safety, education, and supports.
Open Access
Facing FAQs: H1N1 and Homelessness in Toronto
(The Homeless Hub Press, 2015) Buccieri, Kristy; Gaetz, Stephen
The homelessness sector of Toronto faced a public health threat from the H1N1 pandemic. This report shares the findings of research undertaken in 2010 and 2011, assessing the pandemic preparedness of the homelessness sector before, during, and after the outbreak. Interviews were conducted with 149 homeless individuals, fifteen social service providers, and five key stakeholders involved in the H1N1 response. This report is divided into five key sections, and uses a question and answer approach to examine the core issues: 1. “Homelessness, Health and Infrastructure in Toronto” examines how the homelessness sector is organized, how well homeless individuals are faring mentally and physically within the city, and how the sector organizes health care services for its clients. 2. “Preparing the Homelessness Sector for H1N1” explores the work that was done prior to the outbreak and the challenges that arose. 3. “H1N1 and the Homelessness Sector Response” examines how the sector performed during the outbreak phase. Included in this section are discussions of operational changes, communication strategies, supplies, vaccination efforts, and infection control measures. 4. “Learning from H1N1” offers a reflection on how prepared the sector is for another outbreak and what challenges would need to be overcome in the event of a more severe pandemic. This report ends with a “Conclusion and Recommendations” section that pulls the key findings together and offers recommendations for creating a more integrated and interconnected sector.
Open Access
The Upstream Project Canada: An Early Intervention Strategy to Prevent Youth Homelessness & School Disengagement
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2020) Sohn, Jacqueline; Gaetz, Stephen
Upstream Canada is a response to this challenge and the staggering reality that 35,000 – 45,000 youth in Canada experience homelessness each year (Gaetz, 2016). This initiative is a preventive approach to the problem that works to offer supports to youth ages 12-18 who are identified as at risk of homelessness and school disengagement through a universal screening tool called the Student Needs Assessment (SNA). This universal approach sets Upstream Canada apart from other interventions as it identifies students who do not display outward signs of risk and experience barriers to accessing help. Upstream Canada is an adaptation of work that originated in Australia as The Geelong Project (since renamed Upstream Australia), which has demonstrated a 40% reduction in youth homelessness three years after implementation. As an equity-focused early intervention that works through the collective efforts of schools and community-based organizations, Upstream Canada works to prevent youth homelessness and early school leaving.