Family Homelessness In Toronto: Insights
Over 7,400 people are homeless in Toronto on any given night.
They are either sleeping outdoors, in shelters, in emergency respite centres, or in health and correctional facilities. Families with children are the fastest growing homeless subpopulation in Canada.
Family homelessness is a complex issue, usually caused by a range of systemic and personal factors.
- A lack of affordable and appropriate housing
- The pressure on household finances
- Difficulty understanding the housing/welfare system
- The failure to support families in transitions from child welfare, hospitals, correction centres and other facilities
- Mental health issues
- Family violence
- Racism and discrimination
- A lack of support for immigrants and refugees
What can be done?
Family homelessness is a complex issue, usually caused by a range of systemic and personal factors.
There isn’t one perfect solution for everyone, which is why we tailor our approach to each client, connecting them to the services that will most benefit them and enable them to leave homelessness behind. We want to help bring permanent, positive outcomes for our clients.
A 2022 study on family homelessness gives some insight into what families think would go some way to tackling the crisis:
- Better provision of affordable and safe housing
- Re-examining of social assistance processes
Linking people to supportive services - Help transitioning from social assistance to employment
- Greater understanding and compassion from social service workers
Access to resources
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8966253/
What can I do to help?
- If you know a family facing housing difficulty or looking for shelter, visit our Get Help section to find out more about local organizations who can offer support.
- Give families a helping hand via our food bank, becoming a monthly donor or by organizing an event.
- Visit our Get Involved section for more ideas. Together we can end family homelessness for good.
- Lobby your local MPP or MP and support the federal housing initiative.
