Root Causes of Homelessness: Exploring Factors and Trends

“Between 25,000 and 35,000 people are homeless on any given night in Canada.” [BLAIR, N., Homelessness Statistics in Canada, www.madeinca.ca (2023).]

Homelessness is a critical and multifaceted issue that has persisted globally for decades and it is profoundly prevalent in Canada, despite it being one of the most economically prosperous nations in the world. [EGAN, C., What Canada can Learn from the World’s Richest Countries, www.marketherald.ca (2023).] Homelessness remains a pressing issue in Canada and impacts every community in the country. It directly affects individuals, families, women fleeing violence, youth, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. [About Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy, www.infrastructure.gc.ca (2023).] It is a challenge that demands comprehensive understanding and strategic policymaking and solutions.

Several interconnected factors contribute to homelessness in Canada, each playing a role in perpetuating the cycle of housing instability. While the situation is complex, a few primary causes stand out:

1. Lack of Affordable Housing: A critical shortage of housing that is affordable, safe and stable directly contributes to homelessness. Rapid urbanisation, soaring property prices, and limited rental options have left many Canadians struggling to secure suitable housing within their means. Individuals spending over 50% of their income and households spending over 30% of their income on rent or mortgage are at risk of homelessness. [Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Statistics Canada, www12.statcan.gc.ca (2017).] In 2016, over 1.6 million households in Canada were spending over 30% of their pre-tax income on housing. [Table 4, Percent of Households Spending 30% or more of Income on Shelter Cost by Tenure, 2016 and 2021, www150.statcan.gc.ca (2022).]

2. Poverty: Income inequality has widened in recent years, with a significant portion of the population struggling to meet basic needs. A lack of stable employment and a living wage can push individuals and families into homelessness. Impoverished people are frequently unable to pay for necessities such as housing, food, childcare, health care and education.

3. Mental Health and Addiction: 20-25% of people experiencing homelessness suffer from severe mental illness and addictions. [ZHANG, L., NORENA, M., GADERMANN, A., HUBLEY, A., RUSSELL, L., AUBRY, T., TO, M.J., FARRELL, S., HWANG, S., & PAPLEPU, A., Concurrent Disorders and Health Care Utilization Among Homeless and Vulnerably Housed Persons in Canada. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 14(1), 21-31. (2018). DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2017.1392055. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29494795/] The stress of experiencing homelessness may exacerbate preexisting mental illness and dramatically increase anxiety, fear, depression, sleeplessness, and substance use. Homelessness could be drastically reduced if people with severe mental illness were able to access supportive housing as well as other necessary community support.

4. Family Breakdown and Domestic Violence: Domestic violence is a major cause of homelessness for women, as well as poverty resulting from gender inequality. Family violence affects around 336 per 100,000 people and can force individuals and families to leave home suddenly, without proper support in place. [Victims of police-reported family and intimate partner violence in Canada, 2021, Statistics Canada, www150.statcan.gc.ca (2022).] Apart from women, youth is forced into poverty due to physical, psychological and sexual abuse. Seniors also experience neglect and abuse, forcing them into poverty and homelessness. [GAETZ, S., DEJ, E., RICHTER, T., & REDMAN, M., The State of Homelessness in Canada 2016. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, (2016).]

5. Indigenous homelessness: Indigenous populations are disproportionately affected by homelessness. Historical injustices, such as residential schools and the displacement of communities, have contributed to this issue. [BELANGER, Y., AWOSOGA, O., & WEASEL HEAD, G., Homelessness, Urban Aboriginal People, and the Need for a National Enumeration, aboriginal policy studies, 2(2), 4-33, (2013). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5663/aps.v2i2.19006] 28% of indigenous people (off-reserve First Nations, Inuit, Métis) said they had experienced unsheltered homelessness. [UPPAL, S., A Portrait of Canadians who have been Homeless, Insights on Canadian Society, Statistics Canada, www150.statcan.gc.ca, (2022).]

Various reasons have led to an increase in the number of homeless people in Canada. There are approximately 235,000 homeless people in Canada, but the figure may be primarily underestimated because the number of hidden homeless people is unknown. By addressing the root causes and acknowledging the diverse circumstances that lead to homelessness, Canadians can work together to create a society where safe and stable housing is a fundamental right for all.

References

About Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy, www.infrastructure.gc.ca (2023).

BELANGER, Y., AWOSOGA, O., & WEASEL HEAD, G., Homelessness, Urban Aboriginal People, and the Need for a National Enumeration, aboriginal policy studies, 2(2), 4-33, (2013). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5663/aps.v2i2.19006

BLAIR, N., Homelessness Statistics in Canada, www.madeinca.ca (2023).

Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Statistics Canada, www12.statcan.gc.ca (2017).

EGAN, C., What Canada can Learn from the World’s Richest Countries, www.marketherald.ca (2023).

GAETZ, S., DEJ, E., RICHTER, T., & REDMAN, M., The State of Homelessness in Canada 2016. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, (2016).

Table 4, Percent of Households Spending 30% or more of Income on Shelter Cost by Tenure, 2016 and 2021, www150.statcan.gc.ca (2022).

UPPAL, S., A Portrait of Canadians who have been Homeless, Insights on Canadian Society, Statistics Canada, www150.statcan.gc.ca, (2022).

Victims of police-reported family and intimate partner violence in Canada, 2021, Statistics Canada, www150.statcan.gc.ca (2022).

ZHANG, L., NORENA, M., GADERMANN, A., HUBLEY, A., RUSSELL, L., AUBRY, T., TO, M.J., FARRELL, S., HWANG, S., & PAPLEPU, A., Concurrent Disorders and Health Care Utilization Among Homeless and Vulnerably Housed Persons in Canada. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 14(1), 21-31. (2018). DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2017.1392055. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29494795/