Regions

Homelessness is a global challenge.

The United Nations Human Settlements Program estimates that 1.1 billion people live in inadequate housing, and the best data available suggest that more than 100 million people have no housing at all.

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5.1 Living on the Ragged Edges: Latin Americans and Muslims and the Experience of Homelessness in Toronto

Jasmin Zine

This chapter describes the social, economic, and political conditions that contribute to the marginalization and disenfranchisement of Muslims and Latin Americans in West Central Toronto and analyzes how the interlocking systems of oppression based on race, class, gender, religion, sexuality, age, mental health status, and disability affect their ability to access and maintain stable housing. The authors also identifies...

4.2 Better Off in a Shelter? A Year of Homelessness Housing among Status Immigrant, Non-Status Migrant, Canadian-Born Families

This year-long study compared the experiences of three kinds of homeless families who, at the beginning of the study, were living in a family shelter in Toronto: Canadian-born families, immigrant families with permanent resident status, and families headed by migrant women without permanent status. Although most families found housing within the year, not all were better off housed than they had been before becoming homeless...

4.1 Supporting Young Homeless Mothers Who Have Lost Child Custody

This chapter is based on a report commissioned by The Young Parents No Fixed Address Committee, which explored service interventions for young homeless mothers who lose custody of their child and surveyed what is known about the effects on mothers of having children removed from their custody, as well as existing programs for homeless women in this situation, including bereavement and support services. Recommendations for...

3.7 The Peel Youth Village: Designing Transitional Housing for Homeless Suburban Youth

Rae Bridgman

This case study presents findings from research on the development of Peel Youth Village, a transition¬al housing project designed for homeless youth, focusing particularly on planning and design for an emerging group of homeless who differ from North American inner-city groups. The chapter also looks at the impact of political processes, building codes and plan¬ning approval processes on the design of the facility. The...

3.6 How Young People Get off the Street: Exploring Paths Processes

Jeff Karabanow

This chapter explores the ways in which young people across Canada attempt to get off the street and leave behind street culture. Through semistructured interviews with 128 young people and 50 service providers in six Canadian cities, the research identified strategies and challenges involved in leaving street life. Findings suggest that there are several interrelated dimensions to the process, including contemplation,...

3.5 Social Stigma and Homeless Youth

Sean Kidd

This chapter examines the mental health implications of social stigma as it is experienced by homeless youth. Surveys conducted with 208 youths on the streets and in agencies in New York City and Toronto revealed significant associations between perceived stigma due to homeless status and sexual orientation, panhandling and sex trade involvement, and amount of time homeless. Higher perceived stigma was also related to low...

3.4 Street Survival: A Gendered Analysis of Youth Homelessness in Toronto

Stephen Gaetz

Bill O'Grady

This chapter explores how income creation among homeless youth from Toronto varies according to gender. Using questionnaire and interview data, the authors show that, in relative terms, young men are involved in the more financially lucrative sectors of the street economy compared to young women. The authors frame the analysis of the findings in terms of broader discussion of how homelessness is gendered within the spaces and...

3.3 Social Housing Policy for Homeless Canadian Youth

Shirley Chau

Mike Gawliuk

Many welfare policies cover children and adolescents as long as they remain attached to their families. Once young people step outside the structures designed to keep them inside their homes, they risk being set adrift to fend for themselves. The limited funds available to address youth homelessness are temporary and project-based, rather than long-term core funding. The fragmentation of social policies contribute to the...

3.2 Whose Safety Counts? Street Youth, Social Exclusion, Criminal Victimization

Stephen Gaetz

Street youth are much more likely than domiciled youth to be victims of a broad range of crimes; in particular, young women who are homeless face increased vulnerability to violent crime, including sexual assault. While background variables (a history of violence), lifestyle, and routine activities theories have been used to explain criminal victimization, the author argues that the conditions that place street youth at risk...

3.1 Homeless Youth: The Need to Link Research & Policy

Sean Kidd

Larry Davidson

Homeless youth present significant challenges both to youth workers and policy makers seeking to develop better prevention and intervention strategies. This chapter provides an overview of the issues and presents an argument for researchers and policy makers to work collaboratively to develop improved social policy informed by research findings. Download chapter as an ePub file For free ePub software, return to the Table of...

2.6 Traumatic Brain Injury in the Homeless Population: A Toronto Study

The researchers investigated the relationship between traumatic brain injury and current health conditions in a representative sample of homeless people. They asked 601 men and 303 women at homeless shelters and meal programs in 2004–2005 in Toronto about any head injury that left the person dazed, confused, disoriented or unconscious. They found that lifetime prevalence among homeless participants was 53% for any traumatic...

2.5 Understanding the Health, Housing; Social Inclusion of Formerly Homeless Older Adults

The number of homeless older adults is expected to increase with the aging of the baby boomers. This two-city study − Toronto and Calgary − used data from 237 survey interviews, 53 qualitative interviews, six focus groups and Personal Health Information from consenting participants to investigate the health and housing outcomes of formerly homeless older adults. Findings suggest that housing is a critical determinant of...

2.4 The Health of Street Youth in Canada: A Review of the Literature

Jean-François Boivin

Elise Roy

Nancy Haley

Guillaume Galbaud du Fort

This chapter contains a review of 52 studies on data on blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections, mental health problems, pregnancy, violence, and mortality among street youth. The studies show that rates of hepatitis B and C and HIV infection, as well as mental health problems, pregnancies, and assault are higher among street youth than among non-street youth and that the mortality rate for street youth is 11 times...

2.3 Mental Health, Mental Illness, & Homelessness in Canada

Canadian Population Health Initiative of the Canadian Institute for Health Information

This summary of a report published in 2007 presents an overview of research, data, interventions and policy directions related to mental health and homelessness. It explores what is known about the relationships between, first, mental health and homelessness and second, between mental illness and homelessness. It describes the use of mental health services by homeless people, outlines mental health policy in Canada, and looks...

2.2 The Health of Toronto’s Homeless Population

2007 Street Health Toronto

This summary of the Street Health Report 2007 presents the results of a survey on the health status of homeless people in Toronto, conducted by Street Health in the winter of 2006−2007. This report discusses the nature of homelessness in Toronto, followed by an exploration of the daily living conditions of homeless people. It presents findings on the physical and mental health status of homeless people, how they use health...

2.1 The Relationship between Homelessness & Health: An Overview of Research in Canada

Frankish C. James

Stephen W. Hwang

Darryl Quantz

This chapter provide an overview of previous research on homelessness and the relationship between homelessness and health (particularly in Canada), to spur discussion on directions for future research. Homeless people suffer from higher levels of disease and the causal pathways linking homelessness and poor health are complex. Efforts to reduce homelessness and improve health include biomedical, educational, environmental...

1.4. The Toronto Shelter Zoning By-law: Municipal Limits in Addressing Homelessness

Prashan Ranasinghe

Mariana Valverde

This paper focuses on the attempt by the city of Toronto in the late 1990s to address homelessness by building shelters across the city. The authors argue that attempts by municipal governments to address homelessness usually run into roadblocks, so that even the most well-intended efforts are likely to be delayed, diverted or stopped. When municipalities are left to their own devices to address homelessness, the results fail...

1.3 One in Five…Housing as a Factor in the Admission of Children to Care

In a survey of the reasons why Children’s Aid Society of Toronto workers decide when a child should be removed from his or her family and placed in care, researchers found that in 20% of cases, the family’s housing situation was a factor in the decision. Also, housing problems delayed the return of the child to his or her family in 11.5% of cases. The authors conclude that Toronto’s housing situation negatively affects the...

1.2 Shelters for the Homeless: Learning from Research

Roch Hurtubise

Pierre-Olivier Babin

Carolyne Grimard

This review of literature on shelters for the homeless provides a brief history of shelters; a portrait of shelter users; an overview of intervention practices associated with the primary mission of shelters; and a survey of critical analysis of shelters, “shelterization,” and the role shelters play in addressing or masking homelessness in Canadian communities. Download chapter as an ePub file For free ePub software, return...

1.1 Transitional Housing Models in Canada: Options and Outcomes

Sylvia Novac

Joyce Brown

Carmen Bourbonnais

Transitional housing is intended to offer a supportive living environment and opportunities for social and skills development for formerly homeless adults, youth, and families. Program models range from medical treatment to community economic development. It is a controversial approach to addressing homelessness: some communities prefer to offer permanent housing with transitional support services. This study evaluates a...

Understanding Homelessness

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Using Data in Homelessness Work

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The Institute of Global Homelessness

IGH Framework

Strategy & Planning

Program Models

Evaluation

Using Data in Homelessness Work

The Institute of Global Homelessness

Regions

Homelessness is a global challenge.

Search for country-specific resources