Living on the Edge: Women, Poverty and Homelessness in Canada
Description:
In 1998, the mayors of Canada's large urban centres declared homelessness a national disaster. Who the homeless are and what measures should be taken to alleviate
this crisis are currently the subjects of much public attention. Traditionally, homelessness has been constructed and viewed as a male experience. Our predominant understandin-
g of what constitutes homelessness (and therefore who is homeless) is based on those who are visibly without shelter and who use emergency shelters. Generally, women are not as prevalent as men among shelter users and hence make up only a small percentage of research samples. Women's homelessness is often "invisible" as women rely on their domestic and sexual roles as a strategy to avoid shelters, such as taking up temporary residences in short-term sexual relationships. Recent reports suggest, however, that the visible face of homelessness in Canada is changing: youth, families, and women are the fastest growing groups in the visibly homeless and at-risk population. In 1996, for example, families represented 46 per cent of the people using hostels in Toronto; ("Taking Responsibility for Homelessness") in Montreal it is estimated that 4,000 to 5,000 youth are homeless and that 30 to 40 per cent of homeless people are women. (excerpt from the document)
Type of Resource:
Journal
Publication Date:
2000
Volume:
20
Issue:
3
Pages:
123-126
Location:
Toronto