Not to Be Forgotten: Homeless Women in Hamilton

Women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness are a very diverse group. They are also a group for which not enough is known to be able to precisely and efficiently plan services.

Since the late 1980s, homelessness in Canada among women has been rising, both in absolute numbers and in the complexity of the issues facing homeless women (Neal 2004). Among Hamilton’s homeless youth population, there are almost as many women as men (Vengris 2005).

This report was commissioned by Mission Services of Hamilton and attempts to give at least a partial picture of the challenges and conditions faced by homeless women in Hamilton with the aim of aiding Mission Services to better understand this population and plan for potential additional services.

The report has four distinct parts:

• This first “Homeless women in Hamilton and beyond: pathways and barriers” will outline four major issues facing homeless women: violence, poverty, children and health. The narrative will give an overview of these challenges, drawn from both national sources and local knowledge. Alongside, there will be quotes from some sources to give a more vivid picture of homeless women’s realities.

• The second part “Partial portrait of homeless women in Hamilton” will give an overview of women who use the shelter system in Hamilton, followed by a portrait of some of the women at economic risk of homelessness in Hamilton using customized census data.

• A concluding section “Towards solutions for women’s homelessness” will discuss of models of service for homeless women in Hamilton and provide a partial inventory of relevant services. Finally, recommendations are provided as a guide for possible future steps.

• An appendix that provides an inventory of Hamilton’s non-residential services that are specifically for women. (Tables 1 and 2 in section 4.0 on pages 31 and 32 give information about women-specific housing and residential-based programs)

Download the full report, Not to Be Forgotten: Homeless Women in Hamilton

Publication Date: 
2011
Location: 
Hamilton, ON, Canada