The present study explored the prevalence of volatile substance use (VSU) in a community of homeless adults. The importance of individual life history characteristics (history of traumatic events, residential school history, mental and physical health conditions) were also examined with respect to past-year volatile substance use in this sample. Overall, the results indicate that a variety of traumatic events, particularly residential school history and a number of mental and physical health conditions, were significantly associated with VSU in this urban Canadian sample. These findings have novel implications for community interventions for VSU and highlight the importance of conceptualizing cultural and historical traumas in understanding VSU.