Hidden Homeless

According to the Canadian Definition of Homelessness, people experiencing hidden homelessness fall under the category of provisionally accommodated. This refers specifically to people who live “temporarily with others but without guarantee of continued residency or immediate prospects for accessing permanent housing.”

Often known as “couch surfing,” hidden homelessness describes people staying with relatives, friends, neighbours, or strangers  because they have no other option. They generally are not paying rent, it is not a sustainable, long-term living arrangement, and they do not have the ability to secure their own permanent housing immediately or in the near future. This population is considered to be hidden because they usually do not access homeless supports and services even though they are improperly or inadequately housed. Because they do not access services, they do not show up on standard statistics regarding homelessness.

In the State of Homelessness in Canada 2013 an attempt was made to estimate the number of people who fall into this category. The report states: “One Canadian study in Vancouver estimated 3.5 people were considered to be hidden homeless for every one who was homeless.… Applied nationally with a more conservative 3:1 ratio, as many as 50,000 people could be estimated to be hidden homeless on any given night in Canada.”

In a more recent study, data from the 2018 National Housing Survey was used to conclude that about 15% of respondents had experienced hidden homelessness at some point in their lives. It also shows, importantly, that this figure is slightly higher for women than men, which is striking considering that, according to the 2020-2022 Point-in-Time Count, 60% of those experiencing homelessness in shelters, transitional housing, or on the street are men. This is just one example of the way that women are more likely to experience hidden homelessness than men.