ekaplan's blog

People who experience criminalization have the highest rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Canada. Even though HCV can now be cured within 8-12 weeks using tablets with almost no side-effects, and tes

National Indigenous Peoples Day, celebrated on June 21, is a day for all Canadians to celebrate and honour the legacies, cultures, and exceptional achievements of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.

How do the rights of children and youth and housing rights intersect? What are the implications for young people and families at-risk of or experiencing homelessness? To date, these questions have not been satisfactorily addressed in conversations about Canadian human rights. 

“Naatamooskakowin” is a Cree word meaning “a place to come to for help, shelter, or resources.”  Earlier this month, Elder Belinda Vandenbroeck gifted the name to Winnipeg’s new Indigenous-led Coordinated Access System, which provides a new way for people to connect quickly with the housing and supports they need. Naatamooskakowin offers:

People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are significantly impacted during public health emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Health emergencies of this kind often have health, social and economic impacts on this population. Although PEH or people experiencing housing instability may receive social, housing and health supports through programs like Housing First, they continue to face barriers which make them more vulnerable to the negative effects of health emergencies. 

We’re pleased to announce the launch of the second round of the Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Prevention Awards Program. Sponsored by Canada Life, the program is part of a broader suite of activities co-led by A Way Home Canada and the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness to transform our response to youth homelessness. We were so pleased with the results of last year’s program. We gave two awards, and one honorary mention.

A lack of system coordination has long been a critique of the social service sector. Systems have been created without the end-user in mind, resulting in complicated pathways to care. To reduce these system barriers, coordinated systems, named “Coordinated Access” in Canada and “Coordinated Entry” in the United States, have been developed to streamline access to housing and support options among people experiencing homelessness.

Tomorrow is Earth Day – and a good time to reflect on how climate change compounds social inequities. Climate change threatens everyone’s health and wellbeing, and its impact has become increasingly clear in recent years. Climate change is also a driver of health disparities amongst impoverished populations. This is particularly evident in inadequately housed and homeless populations around the world. 

I’m writing an open-access e-book on homelessness and have just released Chapter 1 titled “What causes homelessness?” The PDF version of the full chapter is available here.

La version française de ce billet se trouve ici.

As Australia’s most marginalized group and one of the most poverty-stricken First Nations peoples worldwide, the housing market continues to leave Aboriginal Australians out in the cold. Addressing Aboriginal homelessness requires empowerment, cultural security, self-determination and community leadership. In Western Australia (WA), Aboriginal-led community housing provider Noongar Mia Mia (NMM) is doing groundbreaking work in fostering a culturally responsive housing sector that listens to Aboriginal voices and treats culture as a birthright and great strength.