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Homelessness in Canada

Homelessness in Canada is a growing concern that not many people are aware of, it affects young and old people, individuals and families.They face many issues beyond not just having a secure and safe house like: violence, mental illness, drug addiction and access to health care. Families with children are fastest group of homeless people. It is estimated that 235,000 people experience homelessness in Canada every year (raising the roof). One in three homeless people currently living has some form of a mental health issue. According to Somerville (2013), homelessness is a deprivation on multiple dimensions: physiological (lack of bodily comfort), emotional (lack of joy), territorial (lack of privacy), ontological (lack of rootedness in the world) and spiritual (lack of hope).

Types of Homelessness

There are three types of homelessness: chronic, transitional and episodic. Chronic (absolute) homelessness are people who heavily rely on the shelter system and it becomes long-term housing for them. They are likely to be older and are unemployed, suffer from disabilities and substance abuse problems. This represents a small percentage of the homeless population. Transitional homelessness are individuals that occasionally rely on the shelter system and uses it for short period of time. They are likely to be younger and just joined the homeless population. They are forced to live a shelter because they are transitioning into a more stable housing and that can take a while. Finally, episodic homelessness are those who often are in and out of being homeless. These individuals are likely to be young and are often unemployed.

Causes of Homelessness

There are multiple causes for someone to become homeless some of them are: structural factors, poverty, affordable housing, and domestic violence. Structural factors are money and social issues that has an effect on a person’s opportunity and environment. These factors include lack of income, able to have affordable housing. Poverty and homelessness are linked to each other. Those who are poor are unable to pay for basic necessities like housing, food, health care. There are millions of Canadian individuals and families that are using more than 50% of their income on housing which means they are living in core need. Affordable housing is long-term housing that costs less than 30% of the income for low to middle class households. By the affordable housing not costing more than 30% of the household income, individuals are able to afford other important things like food, health care, education, clothing. Domestic violence that affects millions of Canadians can force individuals out of their home and on to the streets. This is a big issue for women and children who deal with abuse/violence, they have to make a choice between staying in the abusive relationship or becoming homeless.