Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is the largest national research institute devoted to homelessness in Canada. The COH is the curator of the Homeless Hub.
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The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is the largest national research institute devoted to homelessness in Canada. The COH is the curator of the Homeless Hub.
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Author(s): Michelle Firestone, Jessica Syrette, Teyohá:te Brant, Marie Laing, Steve Teekens
Publication Date: 2022
The Mino Kaanjigoowin (MK) program at Na-Me-Res (Native Men’s Residence) in Toronto supports Indigenous men who are experiencing homelessness or are precariously housed and who have complex health and social needs. This article discusses the findings of mixed-methods process evaluation the MK program. This evaluation was conducted using a community-partnered approach that aligns with wise practices for conducting Indigenous health research,.
Author(s): Sarah L Canham, Rachel Weldrick, Tamara Sussman, Christine A Walsh, Atiya Mahmood
Publication Date: 2022
Aging in place may not be a universally optimal goal nor accessible to all. Research has highlighted the significance of aging in the right place (AIRP) by recognizing that secure housing for older adults should support one’s unique vulnerabilities and lifestyles. However, considerations of AIRP relevant for older people with previous or current experiences of homelessness are absent from the existing literature. This article describes a framewor...
Author(s): Stephen Gaetz, Melanie Redman, Andrew Connell, Jack Price
Publication Date: 2022
This European Journal of Homelessness article looks at the role of international engagement and social innovation in preventing youth homelessness in Wales and Canada.
Author(s): Kelly M. Doran, Callan Elswick Fockele, Marcella Maguire
Publication Date: 2022
A common assumption is that there is a unidirectional causal pathway between drug use and homelessness; that is, people experience homeless because of their drug use. This commentary clarifies this misconception and unpacks some of the complicated factors contributing to the bidirectional relationship between drug use and homelessness. It also discusses the ways that housing can become a form of overdose prevention.
Author(s): Reuben Addo et al.
Publication Date: 2022
The Housing First (HF) model places individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and disabilities in housing without the requirement of treatment. This study assesses the social networks of HF program participants to provide insights into the resources they derive from their personal networks, which may influence subjective wellbeing and have the potential of improving social integration.
Author(s): Marybeth Shinn and Molly K. Richard
Publication Date: 2022
Many are reconsidering the VI-SPDAT after research showed it may not be reliable and may perpetuate racial inequities. However, until there’s more funding to end homelessness, communities must figure out how to prioritize and allocate limited resources, especially access to housing. This a journal article was written to help guide and inform these planning efforts.
Author(s): Dr. Ahmed M. Bayoumi and Dr. Gillian Kolla
Publication Date: 2022
In this report, the research team presents a focused analysis on the overdose experiences among people experiencing homelessness from the larger 'Impacts of Overdose' study of people who inject drugs. There is an urgent need to understand the factors contributing to the increased risk of overdose among people experiencing homelessness to inform interventions and policy changes aimed at reducing the risk of overdose and drug-toxicity deaths in thi...
Author(s): Cheryl Forchuk et al.
Publication Date: 2022
This study sought to evaluate a Housing First program for Veterans experiencing homelessness. This program aimed to enhance coordination/integration in the provision of housing and other support services for Veterans experiencing homelessness, to improve access to housing, and to support successful transitioning from homelessness into housing.
Author(s): Melissa Perri and Jaqueline Sohn
Publication Date: 2022
This commentary aims to bring attention to the prevailing issues and challenges faced by youth at-risk of homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides crucial considerations for preventative solutions by incorporating the Roadmap for the Prevention of Youth Homelessness Framework.
Author(s): Brendan O’Flaherty
Publication Date: 2022
It is likely that some of the changes made in the housing sector because of the COVID-19 pandemic will outlast the pandemic. This article explores what those changes are likely to be and how we should respond.
Author(s): Brendan Clifford et. al
Publication Date: 2022
In this article, the authors present three key barriers to the successful integration of healthcare for people experiencing homelessness in Australia. They also outline some principles to underpin future healthcare service delivery and research for this population.
Author(s): Nick Falvo
Publication Date: 2022
This editorial provides a general overview of the state of homelessness in Canada.
Author(s): Robin Petering
Publication Date: 2021
Point Source Youth sought to understand the experiences of formerly homeless or unstably housed young persons throughout their time in a Rapid Re-Housing program. The report paints a picture of young people in Baltimore, Atlanta, Detroit, and New York. Point Source Youth facilitated a longitudinal evaluation that explored what might be the immediate impact of a rapid re-housing program, which provides a combination of rental support and services...
Author(s): Caroline Cawley et. al
Publication Date: 2022
In this study, researchers describe the deaths among people experiencing homelessness in the first year of the pandemic (from March 17, 2020, to March 16, 2021) and compare the characteristics of these deaths with those of the deaths in 4 preceding calendar years. The researchers sought to understand the factors associated with mortality among people experiencing homelessness and to inform mortality prevention strategies.
Author(s): Alex Abramovich, Nelson Pang, Sharumathy Kunasekaran, Amanda Moss, Tara Kiran and Andrew D. Pinto
Publication Date: 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted 2SLGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness, and little is known about vaccine attitudes and uptake among this population. To address this, the objectives of this study were to explore this group’s COVID-19 vaccine attitudes, and facilitators and barriers impacting vaccine uptake.
Author(s): Philippe-Benoit Côté, Catherine Flynn, Kim Dubé, Mylène Fernet, Josiane Maheu, Audrey Gosslin-Pelerin, Pénelope Couturier, Mélissa Cribb, Gabrielle Petrucci & Marie-Marthe Cousineau
Publication Date: 2022
This study shows how traumatic child sexual abuse experiences and negative social reactions to their disclosure can both contribute to social exclusion and isolation, and to homelessness through the internalization of rape myths.
Author(s): Isobel McLean, Dr. Nadine Wathen
Publication Date: 2021
Globally, domestic violence against women increased in severity over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shelters supporting women experiencing temporary homelessness due to violence had to make major changes in service delivery to accommodate pandemic protocols, including how many families could stay in a shelter, where they were allowed to reside, and how they were, and were not, able to interact with shelter staff and the outside world. The p...
Author(s): Hannah Brais, Katherine Maurer
Publication Date: 2022
The provision of shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness creates a 24/7 community of co-living in which the common denominator uniting members is lack of housing. Women of all ethnic, racial, religious, cultural backgrounds, as well as members of 2SLGBTQ+ communities, find themselves co-living in the shared and often challenging transitional space. As services have shifted to “open the door” to provide more inclusive access to services,...
Author(s): Earl James Edwards
Publication Date: 2021
The article explores the history of colorblind homeless policies and questions the feasibility of using these policies to prevent and end Black homelessness.
Author(s): Judy McDonald & Katherine Hale
Publication Date: 2021
Using the Operational Readiness Framework, this study seeks to determine the practices related to the mental readiness of frontline workers in social services working with people experiencing homelessness.