ekaplan's blog

Homeless encampments are one of the most serious right-to-housing issues in Canada today. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of shelter spaces decreased, indoor services became unsafe, and people lost their livelihoods and their homes. This led to a rise in homeless encampments across the country. 

Human Rights Practice in Action: Reflections from the National Symposium on the Right to Housing for Women & Gender-Diverse People

The Momma Moments program developed by Choices for Youth (CFY) was recently selected as one of the winners of the second annual Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Prevention Awards. 

We spoke with Jeannie Piercey, Program Coordinator for Momma Moments, to learn more about the initiative, why it was designed, how it fills the gaps in preventing youth homelessness, and much more. 

The Safe at Home program developed by StepStones for Youth in Toronto, Ontario was recently selected as one of the winners of the second annual Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Prevention Awards. 

We spoke with Heather O'Keefe, Executive Director of StepStones for Youth, to learn more about the initiative, why it was designed, how it fills the gaps in preventing youth homelessness, and much more. 

Tomorrow is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, as well as the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV)—an international campaign to raise awareness about GBV and call for change

While schools can be a powerful site of homelessness prevention, they are also a potential site of harm for many young people, particularly youth with disabilities and mental health struggles, youth from poverty, Indigenous youth, Black youth, and youth navigating homophobia and transphobia. However, youth see schools as an important site where homelessness prevention can happen.

We make up the collective and, therefore, have the power to make the system better for all.

It is as if people do not care about women veterans’ homelessness. We leave them jobless, homeless, and vulnerable to violence – despite fighting for Canada’s freedom. 

November 11th is Remembrance Day—a day to acknowledge the bravery and sacrifice of those who risk their lives to serve our country.

Overview: The Home in the City Project

There are diverse understandings and complex power relations within governance relationships. This is demonstrated through the intersectional communities formed among individuals accessing housing services, providing services, and advocating for services. The relationships that hold these communities together are impacted by formal and informal decisions about how we respond to community issues – this is what we call governance.

In Quebec, homelessness has become a significant social issue. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the homelessness sector saw a surge in the number of people seeking our services. According to the 2015 and 2018 point-in-time counts, homelessness was already on the rise in Quebec before the onset of the pandemic and most people in the sector believe it has further increased since then.