Homelessness 101

What is homelessness? Who is experiencing homelessness in Canada? What are its causes? What are the roles of mental health and substance use? What kinds of supports are useful? How much does the problem of homelessness cost society?

These are all excellent questions, and in this section, we have tried to provide clear answers backed up by research. Consider this section a starting point for anyone looking to learn more about homelessness, particularly in Canada. We intend this to be your entry point to the vast library—we have over 30,000 resources—that is the Homeless Hub website.

Although the questions above might seem basic, they open the door to some of the most important truths to understand about homelessness. It is more than just people sleeping on the street or in shelters—visible homelessness is just the tip of the iceberg.

At its broadest, homelessness refers to the lack of safe, stable, permanent, and affordable housing. It includes families on the verge of losing their home, young people staying with friends because they have nowhere to go, and women who are trapped in cycles of abuse by a lack of housing options.

There is no “typical” person experiencing homelessness, and common representations of homelessness can conceal the way it impacts specific populations. Similarly, stereotypes around mental health and substance use mask the complexity of these issues, notably that they can be both a risk factor and a result of homelessness.

As the articles in this section make clear, we as a society can’t afford to continue with the current response to homelessness, and this is true both financially and ethically. The problem of homelessness can be solved, but first, we need to properly understand it.