Who are Homeless and Houseless?

While homelessness can affect any number of people, we do know that some groups of people are more likely to be homeless than others. Single adult males, between the ages of 25 and 55, account for almost half of the homeless population in Canada (47.5%), according to a Government of Canada study.

-YOUTH: Youth make up about 20% of the homelessness population, though the prevalence rate is the same for adult men. 

-ABORIGINAL PEOPLE: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples are overrepresented amongst homeless populations in most communities in Canada. This necessitates the inclusion of their historical, experiential and cultural differences, as well as experiences with colonization and racism, in consideration of Aboriginal homelessness. 

-WOMEN AND FAMILIES: Violence and poverty are the main causes of homelessness for women and families. There is some evidence that family homelessness is a growing problem in Canada.

In 2013, According to CAEH (Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness) says:

Based on our estimate of the total number of homeless people who use shelters on an annual basis (200,000), we can project the following numbers of chronic, episodic and transitionally homeless persons in Canada: 

CHRONIC HOMELESS: 4,000 to 8,000 

EPISODIC HOMELESS: 6,000 to 22,000 

TRANSITIONALLY HOMELESS: 176,000 to 188,000

Source:

-Statistics Canada (2013). Table 282-0116 - Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by census metropolitan area based on 2006 census boundaries, 3-month moving average, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, monthly (persons unless otherwise noted), CANSIM (database). Retrieved from: http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang= eng&id=2820116&paSer=&pattern=&stByVal=1&p1=1&p2=37&tabMode=dataTable&csid=

- Murphy, B., Zhang, X. and Dionne, C. (2012). Low Income in Canada: a Multi-line and Multi-index Perspective. Income Research Paper Series. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, pp.59-61.

- The Province of British Columbia (2007). Rate Tables Income Assistance - Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation, Province of British Columbia. Retrieved from: http://www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/mhr/ia.htm.

-Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (2008). Canadian Housing Observer: “Ownership Rates, Canada, Provinces, Territories and Metropolitan Areas, 1971–2006. Retrieved from: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/corp/ about/cahoob/data/upload/Table8_EN_w.xls

Appendix:

Author: Flores, R. (2005)

Author: Flores, R. (2005)