As part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, Ontario established the Expert Advisory Panel on Homelessness as a key step to tackling homelessness. Co-chaired by the Honourable Ted McMeekin and the Honourable Deb Matthews, the panel's final report describes the complexity of the problem and sets out recommendations that will inform both immediate and future provincial actions. As one of the first steps, Ontario has accepted the recommendation to end chronic homelessness in 10 years. 

Purpose and Scope

To support the development of common, systematic approaches to measuring the number of homeless people in Ontario, and expand efforts to reduce and end homelessness, the panel was asked to provide practical input on:

• a provincial definition of homelessness
• approaches and methods to collect, measure and track data related to homelessness in Ontario
• approaches to establishing a target related to homelessness for Ontario
• methods to more effectively collect, disseminate and apply existing and emerging evidence about what programs, interventions and investments are most successful in different contexts and for different sub-populations
• and approaches to expand the base of evidence and its application in Ontario.