Every year in Canada, millions of dollars are spent on homeless people for interventions that support them while they are homeless. National and local responses to homelessness have typically focused on investments in emergency supports such as shelters, drop-ins and soup kitchens. This is what is referred to as ‘managing’ homelessness.1

Shifting that money to actions that prevent and end homelessness makes sense, socially and economically, and offers a more cost-effective means for reducing poverty. A 2006 study done for Metro Halifax found that investments in supportive housing could generate cost savings of up to 41%, when compared to per-person costs for six key services typically used by homeless people (e.g. hospitals, shelters)2.

Similarly, studies conducted in other cities in Canada (Calgary, Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto) also demonstrate that managing homelessness is an expensive strain on a number of other systems (e.g. police, ambulance, hospitals, jails), and that a focus on ending homelessness is advantageous.