Here are the preliminary results of the 2013 Street Needs Assessment (SNA). Results are based on more than 2,000 completed surveys. This is more completed surveys than in any previous SNA. At 13 questions, the 2013 survey was the longest.
A full report on the findings will be considered at the Community Development and Recreation Committee meeting on September 18, 2013.
1. The total estimated homeless population in Toronto on April 17, 2013 was 5,219 – relatively stable with the estimate from 2009.
- The 2013 homeless population estimate represents a 1% increase from 2009.
| 2006 | 2009 | 2013 | ||||
| Location | Count | Share of total | Count | Share of total | Count | Share of total |
| Outdoors | 735 | 14.8% | 362 | 7.0% | 447 | 8.6% |
| City-administered shelters | 3,649 | 73.4% | 3,990 | 77.2% | 3,970 | 76.1% |
| Violence Against Women (VAW) shelters | 171 | 3.4% | 306 | 5.9% | 356 | 6.8% |
| Health & treatement facilities | 275 | 5.5% | 223 | 4.3% | 236 | 4.5% |
| Correctional facilities | 139 | 2.8% | 288 | 5.6% | 210 | 4.0% |
| Total | 4,969 | 100.0% | 5,169 | 100.0% | 5,219 | 100.0% |
2. Average length of homelessness is about three years, similar to 2009.
- The average duration of homelessness reported by survey respondents is 3.1 years, however, as shown in the table below, this varies significantly based location.
| Location | Duration of homelessness (avg. years) |
| Outdoors | 7.5 |
| City-administred shelters (family) | 0.4 |
| City-administered shelters (non-family) | 3.1 |
| VAW shelters | 0.5 |
| Health & treatment facilities | 4.0 |
| Correctional facilities | 4.4 |
| Total | 3.1 |
3. The number of homeless individuals sleeping outdoors on April 17 is estimated at 447, a 24% increase from 2009.
- The outdoor population estimate from the 2013 SNA represents a 24% increase from 2009, but is 39.1% below the outdoor population observed in 2006.
- Approximately 39.6% of all respondents (including those sheltered on the night of April 17) indicated that they had spent at least one night sleeping outdoors during the preceding six months. This result (which is comparable to the rates observed in 2006 and 2009) implies that the point-in-time outdoor homeless estimate captures, at most, a quarter of the total number of individuals that experienced outdoor homelessness in Toronto over a six month period. As such, it is reasonable to expect that the actual outdoor population will vary due to periodic and irregular movements between indoor facilities and outdoor sites and, therefore, the variance observed between 2009 and 2013 may be a result of this movement as well longer-term trends.
4. More than one-third of the outdoor homeless population identifies as Aboriginal, an increase of 18% since 2009.
- 16% of Toronto’s total homeless population self-identify as Aboriginal as compared to 15% in 2009.
- As indicated in the table below, the highest rate of Aboriginal self-identification was observed among the outdoor homeless population and correctional facilities.
| Location | Identify as Aboriginal | Do not identify as Aboriginal | No answer |
| Outdoors |
33.9% |
65.4% |
0.8% |
| City-administered shelters (family) |
9.2% |
89.8% |
1.0% |
| City-administered shelters (non-family) |
14.9% |
84.1% |
1.0% |
| VAW shelters |
8.7% |
86.6% |
4.7% |
| Health & treatment facilities |
17.0% |
81.0% |
2.0% |
| Correctional facilities |
28.6% |
71.4% |
0.0% |
| Total |
16.0% |
82.7% |
1.2% |
5. 15.6% of the outdoor homeless population claim Canadian military service.
- The rate of military service among the outdoor population is more than twice that observed for the total homeless population (7.2%). This question was not asked in previous SNAs.
6. Nearly 20% of homeless youth identify as a part of the LGBQT community, more than twice the rate for all age groups. (Questions about sexual orientation were not previously asked.)
- 19.3% of homeless youth identify as a part of the LGBQT community compared to 9.5% for the total homeless population.
- The rate of identification with the LGBQT community is higher among the female homeless population (11%) than the male population (7%).
| Age | Identify as part of LGBTQ community | Do not identify as part of LGBTQ community | No answer |
| Under 21 | 19.3% | 79.0% | 1.7% |
| 21-30 | 13.6% | 84.5% | 1.9% |
| 31-40 | 8.8% | 88.2% | 2.9% |
| 41-50 | 8.9% | 89.7% | 1.4% |
| 51-60 | 5.7% |
93.4% |
0.9% |
| 61-65 | 4.0% | 91.9% | 4% |
| Over 65 | 5.9% | 91.8% | 2.4% |
| Total | 9.5% | 88.6% | 1.9% |
7. The share of seniors in the homeless population has more than doubled since 2009.
- 10% of the homeless population is 61 or older, compared to 4.7% in 2009.
- A further indication of the aging trend is the fact that those aged 51 and above represent 29.1% of the homeless population, compared to 19.6% four years ago.
| Age | Share of total respondents in 2009 | Share of total respondnents in 2013 |
| Under 21 | 8.0% | 6.5% |
| 21-30 | 22.8% | 20.1% |
| 31-40 | 22.1% | 20.2% |
| 41-50 | 27.6% | 24.1% |
| 51-60 | 14.9% | 19.1% |
| 61-65 | 1.9% | 5.4% |
| Over 65 | 2.8% | 4.6% |
8. Health care services, particularly acute care services, are the most commonly accessed services by homeless individuals in Toronto.
- Almost half (47.8%) of the homeless population visited a hospital during the six months prior to the 2013 SNA, and more than a quarter (26.1%) indicated they had contact with an ambulance.
- The five most frequently used services by the homeless population are listed in the table below.
| Service | Share of respondents who used the service |
|
Hospital/ ER |
47.8% |
|
Drop-ins |
46.0% |
|
Health clinics |
44.9% |
|
ID |
39.6% |
|
Food bank/community kitchen |
33.9% |
9. The vast majority of those who are homeless want permanent housing.
- 93% of those experiencing homelessness indicate a desire to get into permanent housing, an increase from 2009 (88.9%).
| Want permanent housing | Don’t want permanent housing | Don’t know | No answer | |
| Total | 93.0% | 5.1% | 1.3% | 0.6% |
10. Almost half of the homeless population is on a waiting list for subsidized housing – but have yet to be housed.
- 48.7% of respondents indicated that they were on a waiting list for housing, an increase from 2009 (45.4%).
| On a waiting list | Not on a waiting list | Don’t know | No answer | |
| Total | 48.7% | 46.3% | 4.3% | 0.7% |
11. According to respondents, the most important supports in finding housing are programs and services that help with housing affordability. (This question was not asked previously.)
- To the question “What is the one most important thing that would help you get housing,” 30.1% of respondents indicated “more money from OW (Ontario Works)/ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program),” 21.5% indicated “Subsidized housing or a housing allowance,” and 15.6% indicated “Help finding an affordable place.”
12. Four out of five homeless individuals have lived in Toronto for more than a year. (This question was not asked in previous surveys.)
- 81% of respondents say they have lived in Toronto for more than one year.
- The highest percentage of respondents reporting residence in Toronto for at least a year were those in correctional facilities and among the outdoor population; the highest percentage of respondents reporting less than a year of residence in Toronto were those in City-administered family shelters.
| Location | Lived in Toronto > 1 year | Lived in Toronto < 1 year | No answer |
| Outdoors | 89.3% | 10.7% | 0.0% |
| City-administered shelters (family) | 60.8% | 39.2% | 0.0% |
| City-administered shelters (non-family) | 81.9% | 18.0% | 0.1% |
| VAW shelters | 83.2% | 16.8% | 0.0% |
| Health & treatment facilities | 82.9% | 15.8% | 1.3% |
| Correctional facilities | 93.0% | 7.0% | 0.0% |
| Total | 81.0% | 18.8% | 0.2% |