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Homelessness: Demography & Characteristics of Homelessness
Every community in Canada has homeless people, even if you don't see them on the street. Most homeless people don't live on the street. It is estimated that more than 80% of Canada's homeless are improperly housed or on the verge of eviction. Many are sleeping in temporary "beds" - with friends or relatives, in church basements, in cheap motels, in abandoned buildings and vehicles, and other places where we don’t see them.

No one is safe from experiencing homelessness. About one-in-seven users of shelters across Canada is a child. Women are more vulnerable to becoming homeless as they generally earn less than men and are more often victims of family violence. Newcomers to the rental housing market - especially young people, immigrants and refugees - are often required to rent housing that they cannot afford and are one paycheck away from eviction. Many seniors face eviction due to fixed incomes and increased rents and taxes. Many homeless youth are living in s...helters or bunking with friends as they are fleeing abusive situations. The working poor, often single parents with young children, live in crowded housing as they are unable to afford a decent place to live while feeding and clothing their children.

More and more community organizations are beginning to recognize the value of good demographic data for rationalizing their local service programs for homeless people. By using information management tools, such as a database to track the demographics and characteristics of their clients, they can better focus on specific approaches and services that match the people they are serving. While collecting data cannot resolve all of their priorities or make all of their decisions, it helps to provide clarity and a starting point for planning appropriate programs and services.

AUTHOR: Power, Asetha (2008) Homeless Hub. [Show More][Show Less]


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A Canadian Homelessness Research Network (CHRN) initiative. The CHRN has received financial support from the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada