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Publication Date: 2018
Purpose: People experiencing homelessness are high-users of hospital care in Canada. To better understand the scope of the issue, and how these patients are discharged from hospital, a national survey of key stakeholders was conducted in 2017. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach: The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness distributed an online survey to their network of members through e-mail and social media. A sample...
Publisher: Canadian Observatory On Homelessness
Publication Date: 2016
The H1N1 pandemic outbreak of 2009–2010 provided a unique set of circumstances from which to evaluate the readiness of homelessness sectors across Canada to deal with infectious outbreaks. In Toronto, the previous occurrence of SARS meant that policy-makers, social service managers and front-line workers had already faced the challenge of working through a major public health crisis. Even before SARS, managing public health issues was not a new c...
Publisher: Canadian Observatory On Homelessness
Publication Date: 2016
In the context of growing concerns about the seeming inevitability of an influenza pandemic, all levels of government in Canada, as well as a broad range of institutions, have been working to develop disaster management plans. The H1N1 pandemic of 2009–2010 put such plans to the test in many ways, as governments, institutions and community agencies had to respond, either through rolling out existing plans, or by developing ad hoc strategies. Home...
Publisher: Canadian Observatory On Homelessness
Publication Date: 2016
Natural and human-induced disasters have become increasingly common in modern society. “Factors such as increased urbanization, critical infrastructure dependencies and interdependencies, terrorism, climate change, environmental change, animal and human diseases and the heightened movement of people and goods around the world have increased the potential for various types of catastrophes” (Public Safety Canada, 2011, p. 3). While some emergencies...
Publication Date: 2016
Substance use is common among homeless and precariously housed youth, yet few longitudinal studies track their usage over time. This paper analyzes data from a study of 187 youth and reports on their substance usage in the preceding month, year, and over their lifetime. The results are compared within the sample by sex and against a sample of similarly located housed youth. Findings suggest that female homeless and precariously housed youth repor...
Publication Date: 2016
Homelessness is a complex social issue that requires a coordinated systems approach. In recent years, Canada has seen an emergence of integrated care, the joining of health care and social care, to address the needs of homeless persons. This article documents the findings of open-ended interviews with eleven members of the central east Ontario Housing and Homelessness Framework Steering Committee, comprised of service managers and the Local Healt...
Organization: Trent University
Publication Date: 2016
This report details the findings of an ethnographic study on the Central East Housing and Homelessness Steering Committee, comprised of members from the Central East Local Health Integration Network (CE-LHIN) and representatives of Service Managers (SMs) from the Regional Municipality of Durham, City of Kawartha Lakes, County of Northumberland, and City of Peterborough.
The report is divided into five sections: (1) Introduction and Background, (...
Publication Date: 2015
The demographic profiles of homeless youth are varied and play an integral role in the experiences these young people have. This article reports on detailed demographic data collected from 187 homeless youth in the Youth Matters in London study, and compares it to demographic profiles of youth in the general Ontario population and with samples of homeless youth from five major Canadian cities. Results indicate demographic data is not consistently...
Publication Date: 2015
Information-communication technologies, like computers and cell phones, are popular among young people. This article details a youth-centered participatory action study in which 12 homeless youth designed and developed a mobile application for other homeless youth. We frame our analysis through a theory of critical youth empowerment and discuss the steps taken to develop the application, as informed by the method of spiral technology action resea...
Organization: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness; Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Publication Date: 2015
The homelessness sector of Toronto faced a public health threat from the H1N1 pandemic. This report shares the findings of research undertaken in 2010 and 2011, assessing the pandemic preparedness of the homelessness sector before, during, and after the outbreak. Interviews were conducted with 149 homeless individuals, fifteen social service providers, and five key stakeholders involved in the H1N1 response.
This report is divided into five key s...
Publication Date: 2013
Anti-social behaviour statutes are proliferating in western societies, yet little statistical analysis has been conducted on their enforcement patterns and trends, particularly in Canada. A study of the Ontario Safe Streets Act enforcement in Toronto shows a 2,000 percent increase in tickets from 2000 to 2010, with most being issued downtown to homeless individuals. Further research shows that this increase is not the result of increasing crime r...
Publication Date: 2013
The manner in which limited vaccines are distributed during a pandemic is an ethical issue. The utility principle has been used to argue priority be given to certain individuals based on factors such as the epidemiology of the spread of disease and maintaining the functioning of society. The equity principle has been used to encourage fair practices that account for the economic and social costs of all decisions made. We argue that both principle...
Publisher: Canadian Observatory On Homelessness
Publication Date: 2013
The childhood favourite, “Where’s Waldo?” can teach us a lot about youth homelessness. The first lesson is that in public spaces we are nearly always seen, even when we do not want to be. Homeless youth understand this, trying to blend into the background at certain times, while drawing attention to themselves at others. The second lesson is that where one stands largely determines whether one will be seen. In some places and spaces favoured by h...
Publisher: Canadian Observatory On Homelessness
Publication Date: 2013
In this chapter we draw on research conducted with 244 homeless youth and discuss the frequent interactions these young people have with law enforcement officials in Toronto and the effect this has on their experiences of being homeless in the city. We argue that the current response to homelessness – that is, one that focuses on emergency services like shelters, drop-in centres, and food programs – does little to prevent and/or move people out o...
Publisher: Canadian Observatory On Homelessness
Publication Date: 2013
This chapter argues that drug policy in Canada is moving in the wrong direction with the exclusion of harm reduction from the 2007 National Anti-Drug Strategy. Harm reduction is an important public health initiative for promoting the safety and well-being of marginalized substance users, including those who are young and homeless. A small qualitative, interview study of homeless youth and service providers conducted in Ottawa, Ontario is discusse...
Publication Date: 2012
Throughout history homeless individuals, such as tramps and vagabonds, have elicited public fear as a result of their transitory behaviour. Being out-of-place means that they have been seen as a threat to many highly regarded values, such as home, family, and community. Today, while the terms tramp and vagabond may no longer be used, the sentiments behind them remain. Homeless individuals are often portrayed in public discourse, such as the news...
Organization: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
Publication Date: 2011
Homelessness, and its visibility, is back in the news in Toronto. Concerns about the scourge of panhandling have once again surfaced in local media with city councillors regularly weighing in on the ‘problem’. With little evidence that there is a dramatic increase in the numbers of people sleeping in parks or ‘aggressively’ panhandling on sidewalks, calls are once again being made for a law and order response to address this highly visible manife...
Publisher: York University's Knowledge Mobilization Unit
Publication Date: 2010
Compared to youth who have homes, street youth are much more likely to be victims of crime. Young homeless women are particularly vulnerable.
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Organization: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
Publication Date: 2010
Any parent would be outraged if their child was exposed to violence and crime. Any community would consider this to be unacceptable. Should we be concerned about the risks that young people who are homeless face? In our report, “Surviving Crime and Violence”, we explore the relationship between youth homelessness and criminal victimization. Our research highlights the degree to which the lives of young people who are homeless are characterized by...