Fact Sheet

101 Things You Need to Know About Youth Homelessness

1. There are an estimated 100 million children living on the streets in the world today.

2. A ‘Child on the Street’ refers to children who visit their families regularly and might even return every night to sleep at home, but spend most days and some nights on the street because of poverty, overcrowding, or sexual or physical abuse at home.

3. On any given night, approximately 33,000 Canadians are homeless – 8,000 to 11,000 are youth.

4. The dictionary defines homeless as: n.

  1. State of having no home
  2. Lacking secure accommodation
  3. “Living on the street”
  4. Condition associated with lack of economic participation within society
  5. State caused by many contributing factors, including physical and mental health problems, substance abuse, poverty, and bad luck.

5. ‘Homeless Youth’ is often used as an umbrella term for a wide range of individuals including unaccompanied youth, runaways, throwaways, street youth and youth in the foster care or institutionalized care system.

6. The Canadian homeless population is increasing in size and is composed of a higher proportion of teenagers, women and their children compared to previous decades.

7. Families with children are the fastest growing group within the homeless population. Families become homeless for many reasons: loss of job, serious illness, rent increases, domestic violence or drug abuse.

8. 50% of all homeless mothers with children are fleeing abusive relationships. Shelters struggle to meet the needs of young families for simple things like socks, underwear, pajamas and food.

9. Long-term or “chronically” homeless people—the individuals we tend to see on our streets—represent less than 20% of the homeless population. Invisible or “hidden,” homelessness is the most common form of homelessness in Canada.

10. The “hidden homeless” are those living in cars and motels, and bunking with friends.

11. Almost one-third of Canada’s homeless population is 16-24 years old. That’s about 65,000 young people without a place to call home.