The economic boom that occurred in Alberta in the mid-2000s drew people to the city of Calgary, putting greater pressure on affordable housing and social services, and increased the number of youth on the streets. The number of homeless people in Calgary went up 32% between 2004 and 2006, and the youth homeless population grew at an even faster rate than the adult homeless population. For youth and health service providers in Calgary, the issues faced by street-involved youth were thus of growing concern.

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Gaetz, S., O’Grady, B., Buccieri, K., Karabanow, J., & Marsolais, A. (Eds.), Youth Homelessness in Canada: Implications for Policy and Practice. Toronto: Canadian Homelessness Research Network Press.