At the time of the National Homelessness Initiative in 1999, it was estimated that there were approximately 150,000 homeless Canadians. Activists and advocates estimate that national homeless counts have since grown to between 200,000 and 300,000 people. In Winnipeg, there are an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 homeless people, 75 to 90 per cent of which are Aboriginal  (Homelessness in Manitoba, 2008).
Homeless shelter use in Winnipeg has increased 50 per cent between February 2007 and December 2008.Â
Shelter capacity has increased dramatically in the last two years, thanks to increased Government and private funding. However, despite the increased shelter capacity, shelters are often full and sometimes people are turned away for lack of space.
Nearly 60 per cent of Canadians would have trouble paying the bills if their paycheque were delayed by one week, putting them at serious risk of homelessness. Single parents were in the most precarious situation, with 72 per cent saying they would have some trouble making ends meet (Canadian Payroll Association, 2009), indicating a significant portion of Canadians are at-risk of homelessness.
Canadian taxpayers spend anywhere between $4.5 billion and $6 billion per year to deal with homelessness, through emergency services calls and damages to businesses (Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership, 2007). This means that from 1993 to 2004, homelessness has cost Canadians $49.5 billion to $66 billion!
Studies of programs in other jurisdictions by the City of Toronto have found service cost savings ranging between $1,300 and $34,000 per person annually, as a result of helping formerly homeless individuals transition into affordable housing (Cost Savings Analysis of the Enhanced Streets to Homes Program, 2009).