There
was an interesting report that came out a couple of years ago, that looked at “The State of Homelessness in Canada”. It was published in 2013. It is the first
extensive Canadian report card on homelessness published in 2013. This
report examines what we know about homelessness, the historical, social and
economic context in which it has emerged, demographic features of the problem,
and potential solutions. The State of Homelessness provides a starting point to
inform the development of a consistent, evidence-based approach towards ending
homelessness.
The report
was written by Stephen Gaetz, Jesse Donaldson, Tim Richter, & Tanya
Gulliver (2013): The State of Homelessness in Canada 2013. Toronto: Canadian
Homelessness Research Network Press.
The Homeless Hub (www.homelesshub.ca ) is a web-based
research library and resource centre, supported by the Canadian Homelessness
Research Network
In 2012, a
new Canadian Definition of Homelessness was released by the Canadian
Homelessness Research
Network:
“Homelessness
describes the situation of an individual or family without stable, permanent, appropriate
housing, or the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it. It is
the result of systemic or societal barriers, a lack of affordable and
appropriate housing, the individual/household’s financial, mental, cognitive,
behavioural or physical challenges, and/or racism and discrimination.
Most
people do not choose to be homeless, and the experience is generally negative,
unpleasant, stressful and distressing.” (CHRN, 2012: 1)
When we
talk about homelessness there are many different types, according to the report
there is a range of housing and shelter circumstances:
1)
UNSHELTERED - living on the streets or in places not
intended for human habitation
2)
EMERGENCY SHELTERED - staying in overnight emergency
shelters designed for people who are homeless
3)
PROVISIONALLY ACCOMMODATED – people who are homeless whose
accommodation is temporary or lacks security of tenure, including interim (or
transitional) housing, people living temporarily with others (couch surfing),
or living in institutional contexts (hospital, prison) without permanent
housing arrangements.
4)
AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS - people who are not homeless, but
whose current economic and/or housing situation is precarious or does not meet
public health and safety standards.
Recent
data from a March 2013 Ipsos Reid poll suggests that as many as 1.3 million
Canadians have experienced homelessness or extremely insecure housing at some
point during the past five years.
The number
of Canadians who experience homelessness on any given night in Canada is
estimated to be approximately 30,000 individuals. This is the best estimate of
homelessness developed in Canada to date, and includes people who are:
I.
UNSHELTERED (outside in cars, parks, on the street) – 2,880
II.
STAYING IN EMERGENCY HOMELESSNESS SHELTERS – 14,400
III.
STAYING IN VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN SHELTERS – 7,350
IV.
PROVISIONALLY ACCOMMODATED (homeless but in hospitals, prison or interim
housing) – 4,464
Interestingly,
those 65 years of age and older comprised just over 1.7 percent of shelter
users, which may be explained by the expanded benefits accessible to seniors,
but also by the much higher mortality rate of chronically homeless persons
(Hwang, et al. 2009
Canada has
a long way to go in order to end the homeless crisis, but it has also made some
definite steps in the right direction. We can lean on our international partners
in the U.S., the UK and Australia and learn from their successes (and failures)
rather than reinventing the solution. A focus on Housing First, early
intervention and the development of affordable housing are all keys to being
able to move away from the emergency response phase of homeless service
provision.
We also
have a great many promising and best practices within Canada that should be
used as examples. The untold stories of successes need to be shared so they can
be replicated. The Homeless Hub
website contains a wealth of resources, including a follow-up report on the State of Homelessness in Canada 2014 and case studies to help communities
learn from one another.
Changes
need to occur at all levels of government and commitments of financial
resources and political will to end homelessness need to be established.
Maintaining people in a state of homelessness is costly; ending homelessness is
the goal we should all be seeking for financial and moral reasons.
