Understanding homelessness

Myths About Homelessness

There are many myths and misunderstandings about homelessness that take the focus of conversations away from solutions. Check out our homelessness mythbusters posters below to learn some of the most common misconceptions.

What Are the Root Causes of Homelessness?

There are many reasons why someone may become homeless. Housing loss is often not due to one event, but many overlapping events and circumstances^1,2,3. Many people are experiencing homelessness due to large, nation-wide factors beyond their control. In Canada, some of the most common causes of homelessness are:

System Factors

a lack of affordable housing
rising costs of living
increased unemployment
discrimination and inequality
historical treatment of Indigenous Peoples
transitions out of public systems, such as:
- child protection, corrections, hospitals

Individual Factors

relationship breakdown
gender-based violence
physical health issues
mental health issues
traumatic events
substance use disorders

Recently, national and global emergencies have led to large increases in homelessness across Canada. Job loss and housing evictions increased throughout the COVID-19 pandemic⁴, leading housed individuals and families into homelessness. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the health of people already experiencing homelessness, who were five times more likely to die within 21 days of infection⁵. The ongoing opioid crisis continues to harm people who use drugs while experiencing homelessness, highlighting the need for additional treatment services and supportive housing options. Opioid-related deaths in shelters across Ontario have tripled since 2020⁶, rising by 116%. In comparison, opioid deaths outside of homeless shelters rose by just 13%.

What Are the Costs of Homelessness?

Experiencing homelessness puts people at greater risk for death⁷, serious long-term health conditions⁷, and poor mental health^8,9. These intersecting health and quality of life disparities lead to the continued loss of people experiencing homelessness from our community, and with them the loss of community potential.

Text depicting life expectancy of people experiencing homelessness as 34-47 years.

Text depicting death rate of people experiencing homelessness as 2-3 times higher than the general population.

Text depicting cancer as 4 times higher and heart disease as five times higher in people experiencing homelessness than in the general population.

A national shortage of affordable housing has left people experiencing homelessness with limited options for exiting homelessness, and they end up spending long periods of time in institutions that are meant for emergencies and short-term stays^11,12. In 2023, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reported that Canada will need 3.5 million additional housing units¹⁰ to restore housing affordability across the Country, in addition to what is already being built. Undue pressure on emergency services and short-term solutions has led to additional government spending across healthcare, corrections and shelter. To address these costs, all three levels of government must participate in a unified approach that prioritises the creation of affordable housing and supportive low-barrier prevention services.

Note: These costs were provided by the Ontario Ministry of Housing and the Office of the Auditor General in the Auditor's 2017 Annual Report: Section 3.14 Social and Affordable Housing, Chapter 3, pages 697–700.

References

1. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, “Homelessness: How Does It Happen?,” Statistics Canada, December 6, 2023, https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/5170-homelessness-how-does-it-happen.

2. “Causes of Homelessness | The Homeless Hub,” 2021, https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/causes-homelessness.

3. “Indigenous Peoples | The Homeless Hub,” 2021, https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/population-specific/indigenous-peoples.

4. Jakob Koziel, Maria Savidov, and Andrea Frick, “A Brief Scan of COVID-19 Impacts on People Experiencing Homelessness: System Impacts and Responses,” by Bissell Centre, https://www.homelesshub.ca/resource/brief-scan-covid-19-impacts-people-experiencing-homelessness.

5. Lucie Richard et al., “Testing, Infection and Complication Rates of COVID-19 Among People With a Recent History of Homelessness in Ontario, Canada: A Retrospective Cohort Study,” CMAJ Open 9, no. 1 (January 1, 2021): E1–9, https://doi.org/10.9778/cmajo.20200287.

6. ODPRN, “Opioid-Related Toxicity Deaths Within Ontario Shelters: Circumstances of Death and Prior Medication & Healthcare Use - ODPRN,” ODPRN -, June 28, 2024, https://odprn.ca/research/publications/opioid-related-toxicity-deaths-within-ontario-shelters/.

7. Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, “CAEH19 Keynote Speaker Dr. Sandy Buchman: Death Is a Social Justice Issue,” November 20, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOVSe2BwvKM.

8. “Mental Health and Homelessness in Canada | The Homeless Hub,” 2021, https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/mental-health-and-homelessness-canada.

9. “Mental Illness and Addiction: Facts and Statistics,” CAMH, 2007, https://www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/the-crisis-is-real/mental-health-statistics.

10. “Housing Shortages in Canada: Updating How Much Housing We Need by 2030,” CMHC, September 13, 2023, https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/research-reports/accelerate-supply/housing-shortages-canada-updating-how-much-we-need-by-2030.

11. “Cost Analysis of Homelessness | The Homeless Hub,” 2021, https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/cost-analysis-homelessness.

12. Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, “Annual Report: Section 3.14 Social and Affordable Housing,” 2017, in Chapter 3, 697–700, https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/annualreports/arreports/en17/v1_314en17.pdf.

Understanding Homelessness