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.
- About Homelessness
- Doing Research
- Community Profiles
- Solutions
- Blog
- About Us
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.
Canadian Observatory on Homelessness- Search
- Our Work
- Search Library
Search Library
Author(s): Jeff Karabanow, Kaitrin Doll, Catherine Leviten-Reid, Jean Hughes, Haorui Wu
Publication Date: 2021
This report outlines findings from a study which captured narratives from individuals experiencing homelessness throughout the pandemic; and those tasked with developing, supporting, innovating, and funding the disaster responses in two Nova Scotian communities.
Author(s): Marianne Quirouette, Tyler Frederick, Jean Hughes, Jeff Karabanow
Publication Date: 2016
Youth without housing experience more regulation and conflict with criminal justice than their housed counterparts. Using in-depth qualitative interviews with fifty-one young people, we focus on how efforts to move away from homelessness towards long-term housing stability are impacted by conflict with law, a term referring to a broad range of experiences with various authorities in the legal system, social services, shelters, etc. Our paper come...
Author(s): Jeff Karabanow, Sean Kidd, Tyler Frederick, Jean Hughes
Publication Date: 2016
This paper explores the lives of formerly homeless young people as they transitioned towards housing stability. The study employed a longitudinal design involving 51 street youth in Halifax, N.S. (n = 21) and Toronto, ON (n = 30). This paper sheds light upon the pathways through which young people transitioned away from homelessness using the developmental lens of emerging adulthood: a stage involving numerous developmental struggles (identity, i...
Author(s): Sean Kidd, Tyler Frederick, Jeff Karabanow, Jean Hughes, Ted Naylor, Skye Barbic
Publication Date: 2016
This study examined the process of establishing post homeless lives among 51 recently homeless youth in two major urban centers in Canada. A mixed methods strategy was employed to characterize this process. Quantitatively, a range of mental health, community integration, and quality of life measures were employed four times over the course of 1 year to describe how these indicators of wellbeing shifted in this period. It was found that over the c...
Author(s): Tyler J. Frederick, Michal Chwalek, Jean Hughes, Jeff Karabanow, Sean Kidd
Publication Date: 2014
Despite housing stability being a key concept in housing and homelessness policy, research, and service provision, it remains poorly defined and conceptualized, and to date there are no standard measures. We use in-depth qualitative interviews with 51 young people transitioning away homelessness over the course of a year to examine the core dimensions of housing stability. Due to the potential for sudden change, we define housing stability as the...
Author(s): Sean Kidd, Jeff Karabanow, Jean Hughes, Tyler Frederick
Publication Date: 2013
While there exists an extensive body of knowledge regarding the risks associated with youth homelessness, very little work has addressed the process of exiting street contexts. This paper reports baseline findings from an ongoing longitudinal study assessing factors associated with a successful transition out of homelessness. Fifty-one formerly homeless youth who obtained stable housing in the past 2 months to 2 years participated in this study wh...
Author(s): Jeff Karabanow, Jean Hughes
Publisher: Canadian Observatory On Homelessness
Publication Date: 2013
This analysis explores the case study of a Nova Scotia supportive housing development (Supportive Housing for Young Mothers – SHYM) designed for young mothers and their children. Based on two rounds of in-depth interviews, conducted six months apart, with 10 tenants, four staff members and five Board members, in addition to tenants’ completion of the World Health Organization Quality of Life survey (WHOQOL-BREF), this research highlights how the...
Author(s): Jeff Karabanow, Jean Hughes, Jann Ticknor, Sean Kidd, Dorothy Patterson
Publication Date: 2010
Based upon in-depth interviews with 34 youth in Halifax and seven service providers in St. John's, Montreal, Hamilton, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Calgary, the findings of this study suggest that labour occurs within a particular street context and street culture. Formal and informal work can be inter-related, and despite the hardships they experience, young people who are homeless or who are at-risk of homelessness can respond to their circumstances...
Author(s): Jeff Karabanow, Jean Hughes, Bryan Hofbauer, Derek Jessome
Publication Date: 2010
The animated short entitled Walking Through Wonderland captures a glimpse of youth homelessness in a surreal and edgy manner. Framed around two characters building a friendship on the street, this artistic work highlights the dualisitic nature of youth homeless culture - on one hand there is a sense of community and safety; on the other hand, many of these young people have experienced traumatic family pasts and exploitative street encounters.
T...
Author(s): John Hartling, Jean Hughes, Sharon Lawlor, Jann Ticknor, Peggy MacCormack, Patti Melanson, Charlene Croft, Claudia Jahn
Organization: Community Action on Homelessness
Publication Date: 2009
The Health and Homelessness survey was conducted between January 13 and January 23, 2009 with the assistance of many community volunteers. Community Action on Homelessness interviewed 158 homeless people in 6 shelters and 4 other locations throughout downtown Halifax about their lives, their health and their access to health care. For the purposes of this survey, homelessness was defined as: having stayed at a shelter; outdoors or in a public spa...
Author(s): Jeff Karabanow, Jean Hughes, Candida Hadley
Publication Date: 2008
The research objectives of this project were to explore the experiences of tenants at SHYM in terms of the trajectory to being homeless and housed, the experience of being homeless and housed, and the experience of SHYM - on hopes, sense of self, health and social needs (of whom and when); to inform other non-profits of the strengths/limitations in developing supportive models for young mothers; to inform government and community stakeholders reg...
Author(s): Jeff Karabanow, Sharon Hopkins, Steve Kisely, Joanne Parker, Jean Hughes, Jacqueline Gahagan, Leslie Anne Campbell
Publication Date: 2007
Th is pilot study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and offers an examination of the experiences and perceptions of street youth vis-à-vis their health status. Th rough in-depth interviews and a short quantitative survey with 15 street-involved youth in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this paper explores healthy and not-so healthy practices of young people living on the street. Qualitative interviews with ten health care and...
Author(s): Jann Ticknor, Jeff Karabanow, Sean Kidd, Jean Hughes, Dorothy Patterson
Publication Date: 2009
The findings of this study suggest that labor occurs within a particular street context and street culture, the relationships between formal and informal work are inter-related, and despite the hardships they experience, young people who are or at-risk of homelessness respond to their circumstances with ingenuity, resilience and hope. Often street-involved and homeless young people are straddling formal and informal work economies while mediating...
Author(s): Jean Hughes, Jeff Karabanow, Joanne Parker, Jacqueline Gahagan, Stephen Kisely
Publication Date: 2006
This paper uses research findings, literature, and field observations to describe the heterogeneity of Canadian and Halifax street youth, and the services they rely upon for survival.