Homelessness is rising across Canada primarily due to a severe shortage of affordable housing, soaring rental costs, and high inflation that has outpaced income growth. This crisis is exacerbated by systemic factors, including inadequate mental health support, the aftermath of the pandemic, and a lack of social housing, pushing more people into insecure housing or encampments.
(2) Although it is hard to count the homeless, there are signs that since the 1980s homelessness in Canada has been growing and affecting a wider segment of the population: the fact that certain groups appeared for the first time in shelters and soup kitchens for the homeless, the overloading of shelters, and the ...
The combination of high prices and rising interest rates led to housing being the most unaffordable it had ever been in Canada since RBC began tracking affordability in 1986, requiring the median income earner to save for over 26 years for the downpayment on the median home in Toronto, or over 34 years in Vancouver.
The lack of deeply affordable housing is the primary cause of homelessness. For many, rising costs create an impossible choice between paying for housing and other necessities like healthcare, groceries, or clothing.
Homelessness is a shared responsibility. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada is working with provinces and territories on the delivery of this initiative to maximize alignment, select communities and confirm commitments to support and fund community-level efforts.
Why Homelessness is Rising in Canada: Key Causes and Solutions
Why is homelessness so bad in Canada?
Systemic issues contribute to a person's experience of homelessness. Poverty arises from economic and social inequalities. These can often be based on factors outside of a person's control, like low wages, inflation that leads to higher food and housing costs, discrimination, or a lack of work.
Soaring bills, rising rents, and a sheer lack of affordable housing are making it harder for us all to have a safe, secure and affordable home. It's unacceptable. We can build a future free from homelessness.
Black and Native American individuals are more likely to be homeless than are individuals from other racial and ethnic groups. Men and veterans also have higher rates of homelessness than the U.S. average. Homeless people are less likely to be women or under the age of 18.
The most at-risk groups include those with mental health issues or alcohol and drug addictions, and those experiencing family violence. Homelessness is increasingly affecting groups who have not traditionally been at risk.
Introduction. Reaching Home is a community-based program that aims to prevent and reduce homelessness by providing direct support and funding to Designated Communities (urban centres), Indigenous communities, territorial communities, and rural and remote communities across Canada.
According to our new study, in 2023 (the latest year of comparable data), typical homes on the market were unaffordable for families earning the local median income in every major Canadian city. It's not just Vancouver and Toronto—housing affordability has eroded nationwide.
Do you need to file taxes if you have no income or stable housing? A Markham accountant says yes and explains why. Many people experiencing homelessness don't realize that filing taxes can unlock valuable government benefits, even if they have no income or fixed address.
Its economy relies primarily on natural gas, agriculture and ranching (City of Medicine Hat, 2014b). Despite being known as Gas City, due to its role in the resource industry, Medicine Hat has most recently become known for becoming the “first city to end homelessness” (Chan, 2015).
The most recent survey was in the field in October 2024 and the research finalized this spring. Results show homelessness in Toronto has increased since 2021 as result of a wide range of issues such as lack of affordable housing, unmet health needs, insufficient income support and substance use struggles.
There are currently two major contributors to the housing and homelessness crises: a lack of low cost housing nationwide and the limited scale of housing assistance programs. Nationally, the cost of rental housing greatly exceeds wages earned by low-income renter households.
Homelessness in America is largely a gendered phenomenon. Men are the overwhelming majority individuals counted in the HUD-required annual Point-in-Time Count. They are also more likely than women to be unsheltered.
The lifetime literal rate of homelessness in the UK stands at 7.7%, which is higher than in the United States of America. This homeless rate also soars over homelessness in Belgium, Italy, and Germany, breaking all the worst records in all the wrong places.
The "56-day homeless rule" refers to the mandatory 56-day period (eight weeks) local authorities in England have under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 to prevent homelessness (prevention duty) or help someone find accommodation (relief duty) if they're eligible, focusing on a Personal Housing Plan. This duty applies if you're at risk of homelessness within 56 days or are already homeless, requiring councils to take reasonable steps, but they can end the duty after 56 days if not resolved, potentially requiring you to reapply if you still need help.
You don't have to be sleeping on the streets to be considered homeless. You can apply for help even if you have somewhere to live but it's not suitable. For example, if you're staying on a friend's sofa or your home is overcrowded.
Finland is the only country in the world where there are no homeless people; the Finnish government believes that housing is not a privilege, but a fundamental right for every individual. Therefore, instead of temporary shelters or tents, homeless people are given the keys to permanent homes.
While there are many drivers of modern-day homelessness, it is largely the result of failed policies; severely underfunded programs that have led to affordable housing shortages; wages that do not keep up with rising rents and housing costs; inadequate safety nets; inequitable access to quality health care (including ...
