What is Homelessness?

Alberta Homeless Foundation
Jun 28
6 min read

Updated: Sep 16

Introduction

A concept often misunderstood due to stereotypes, homelessness is a large societal issue affecting thousands of Canadians on a daily basis beyond what we see on the street. Many spend harsh winters without a roof over their head, lacking access to a stable, and safe shelter with an inadequate food supply.

Homelessness is not always visible. According to the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH), homelessness is categorized into 3 main categories which include the unsheltered, the emergency-sheltered, and the provisionally accommodated.

➔ Definitions:

Unsheltered homeless: Individuals who lack shelter and instead live on the
streets, in tents and cars, or other inhabitable spaces.
Emergency-sheltered: Accessing and living in support systems or emergency
shelters due to the inability to secure permanent shelter.
Provisionally accommodated: Staying in temporary accommodations with no
permanent housing through the use of spaces like motels or couch-surfing.
Types of Homelessness
Homelessness can be further analyzed based on patterns. Depending on the duration and frequency that differs between groups, homelessness can be classified into episodic, chronic, transitional, and hidden homelessness.

➔ Categories:
Episodic Homelessness: Repeated periods of homelessness that have
occurred at least 3 times throughout the year. It is often found in individuals
who suffer from a disabling condition.
Chronic Homelessness: Long-term and continuous homelessness for a year,
or individuals who have been homeless for a minimum of 4 periods within the previous three years. It is often found in those that suffer from a long-term health issue.
Transitional Homelessness: Living in a shelter or temporary housing for a short-term basis only one time. It is often seen in younger individuals who have undergone sudden life changes.
Hidden Homelessness: Individuals who live with others through couch-surfing, and lack secure housing on the basis that they will not be staying long term. This category is often gone unnoticed due to the fact that they do not reach out to homeless support services despite their need for it and therefore, are harder to track.

What Causes Homelessness?

Everyone’s circumstances are different, homelessness is caused by multiple overlapping factors with the main ones including structural factors, poverty, and personal circumstances.

Structural factors include economic instability and discrimination against minorities. It is a big factor in causing homelessness due to the increase in job losses, underemployment, and the rising costs of housing which results in the inability for individuals to pay rent due to inadequate income. Costs for essential goods and services have increased while employment has decreased which contributes to financial challenges, it raises concerns with affording housing or rent and is the leading cause of homelessness.

In addition to the structural factors, minority groups often face racism which creates barriers within society. According to Statistics Canada, Indigenous households (29.5%) were 3 times more likely to experience homelessness, while racialized and immigrant households (17.8%) were below the national average in comparison to the total population. This communicates an inequity of opportunities present to them compared to those of the majority.

Poverty is tightly linked to homelessness as individuals that are impoverished are unable to pay for necessities like housing, food, water, healthcare, and education. In addition to limiting their ability to secure permanent housing, this lack of financial stability also exposes them to more illnesses without access to proper medical care. Without the ability to meet their daily needs or access desired resources and services, this vulnerability makes them more probable to homelessness.

Personal circumstances include declining mental health, traumatic events, and domestic violence. Mental health can affect an individual's ability to perform daily needs and without access to timely treatment and support, these individuals may be prone to homelessness. According to Statistics Canada, individuals with fair or poor mental health (55.3%) were more likely to have experienced homelessness compared to the total population in Canada.

Traumatic events such as sudden job loss, death of loved ones, or house fire can also lead to homelessness by acting as the tipping point of an individual who is already emotionally vulnerable. Survivors of domestic violence mostly include women and children who are

often faced with the decision to stay in an abusive household, or running away to what ends up being household instability.

Misconceptions about Homelessness

There are many stereotypes and myths associated with homelessness that often blame the individual rather than focusing on the systematic issues or personal life events that may have caused it. Some of the main ones are listed below:

#1: It’s often thought that homelessness is solely caused by drug addiction or substance misuse. This is false, according to the Calgary Homeless Foundation, only 38% use alcohol and only 26% use other types of drugs, there are multiple other factors that can lead an individual to homelessness. The higher rate of drug use seen in homelessness compared to the general population, is often used as a coping mechanism to ease their stress about their inability to secure a permanent shelter.
#2: Another misconception states that all individuals experiencing homelessness are criminals. This is another false statement. In fact, they are more likely to face sexual assault and physical violence from others instead. The high criminal rate seen in homelessness compared to the general population is because the minor offences like shoplifting they do to survive and meet daily needs, are more criminalized, treated as a greater crime, and can result in being arrested.
#3: It’s thought that individuals experiencing homelessness do not want help and would rather live on the streets rather than getting a job, however this is false. There are many discriminations that these individuals face when applying for jobs that prevent them from being employed. Without a secure home and reliable transportation, homelessness can make an individual seem less competitive within the job market and appear undependable. Even those that do have a job are unable to secure enough income to have a permanent home without stress.

How Homelessness Affects an Individual
Homelessness not only affects where an individual sleeps, but it also affects multiple other aspects of their life.
Physical Health: Being exposed to cold temperatures and unsanitary conditions with limited hygiene can lead to illnesses and without access to adequate medical care, it gets left untreated and worsens overtime.
Safety: Individuals experiencing homelessness are more prone to being faced with violence and threats to their safety, theft, and exploitation. The lack of having a secure shelter exposes the individual to an environment without basic safety and privacy.
Mental Health: Experiencing homelessness brings many mixed emotions including
stress, uncertainty, and concern for health and safety. This can ultimately allow for the risk for disorders like depression and anxiety, potentially impairing their ability to function day-to-day necessities.
Employment: Without a secure shelter, clean clothing, and reliable transportation, the chances of getting hired for a job or maintaining it once hired becomes difficult due to instability.

Why it Matters
Societal Implications: Individuals experiencing homelessness are more prone to chronic diseases, illnesses, infections, and sicknesses, which ultimately increase the risk of it getting spread to others. It also causes strain on the healthcare system by raising costs for communities and lengthening emergency service wait times. In addition to this, it also puts a strain on the judicial system due to the fact that actions taken for their own survival are more likely to be criminalized, and they are more likely to be exposed to violence and crime. Homelessness also reflects the inequality that is present within society as minority groups tend to be found experiencing homelessness more than the majority.
Ethical Responsibility: Homelessness raises concerns about human rights as it violates the fundamental human right to shelter, adequate food and water supply, and healthcare. In addition, stereotypes that are placed upon homeless individuals leads to discrimination and marginalization against them, creating barriers within society that further prevents them from securing jobs, securing permanent shelter, or accessing essential services and resources.

Homelessness does not only affect a single individual, it affects all of society. Everyone deserves to be able to call a place their home, have access to healthcare when needed, a secured employment to rely on for income, and a stress-free food supply. Breaking down stereotypes and emphatically working towards recognizing the complexity of homelessness is the first step towards change.