clmichel's blog

Upstream Canada is an innovative approach aimed at preventing youth homelessness and school disengagement by combining social services and schools. It is based on the idea that early intervention gives you the best chance of addressing issues before they worsen. But in order to intervene early, good screening tools are required to identify at-risk youth and refer them to services. Upstream Canada does this by means of universal screening for all students at participating schools.

In today’s technology driven world, it is no surprise media platforms act as key channels for the dissemination of information. Within the realm of media narratives, homelessness is a particularly interesting issue that reflects not only the stark realities faced by a marginalized population but also the transformative role that media holds in catalyzing solutions to urgent societal problems. 

Homelessness rates are rapidly rising across Canada, and encampments, as one of the most visible manifestations of homelessness, have become a focal point for discussion. Unfortunately, these debates often focus on safety risks (for both encampment residents and neighbours) rather than on rights, housing, and supports.

Over the past few years, the homelessness crisis has become impossible to ignore, but the current situation was decades in the making, and solving it will take efforts far beyond the homelessness sector. 

While researchers want their work to contribute to social change, this is easier said than done. Researchers rarely have the tools or connections to reach the policy makers and practitioners who would make use of their work. Similarly, policy makers and practitioners often struggle to develop and implement policies and programs that reflect best the practices identified through research. This means there are significant gaps between knowledge and practice when it comes to addressing social problems like homelessness.

Last month, the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness hosted a conversation about the Family and Natural Supports model with Jessica Ward (360 Kids), Melody Brewer (Canadian Mental Health Association of Kelowna), and Jocelyn Adamo (Trellis) facilitated by Heidi Walter (A Way Home Canada) for the Prevention Matters! webinar series.

Based on “‘I Want Purpose in my Life’: A Qualitative Exploration of How Homeless Youth Envision their Futures” by Minda Wood, Stéphanie Manoni-Millar, Athourina David, Cora MacDonald, Veronique Rochon, John Sylvestre, and Stephen Gaetz.

In the words of former UN Special Rapporteur Raquel Rolnik, “Security of tenure is understood as a set of relationships with respect to housing and land, established through statutory or customary law or informal or hybrid arrangements, that enables one to live in one’s home in security, peace and dignity.” Simply put, it refers to a person’s ability to remain