Is Homelessness Increasing in Canada?

Whether it’s alarming news headlines or the sight of more tents on downtown streets, you may be wondering if the population of unhoused people in Canada is increasing. This is a difficult question to answer, as measuring this population can be complex, but certain reports do show an increased number of unhoused individuals.

People can become unhoused for many reasons, including domestic violence, poor health, or simply as a consequence of relocating. Learning about the nuances of this national issue can promote more compassion and understanding.

Defining “Homelessness”

Before we delve into the statistics, it’s helpful to define what “homelessness” really means. While words like “homeless” or “unhoused” may conjure up images of people living in tents on the street, the reality is that not everyone experiencing homelessness fits this image. Many individuals without a fixed address live in shelters, vehicles, or temporarily with friends or family, often in ways that are less visible to the public.

In “A Review of Canadian Homelessness, 2023,” a research paper published by Statistics Canada, there are 4 main categories of unhoused status:

1. Unsheltered: This is the most visible form of being unhoused and is what most people think of when they hear the word “homeless.” The unsheltered population typically live in public or private spaces in temporary structures like tents.
2. Emergency sheltered: This population lives in temporary housing such as non-profit organizations, shelters for people leaving domestic abuse, and shelters for people affected by natural disaster.
3. Provisionally accommodated: Sometimes called the “hidden homeless,” this population includes people who “couch surf” with friends or family, people who are living in hotels, and people in transitional housing such as those built for immigrants and refugees.
4. At risk: People at risk of becoming unhoused are not necessarily “homeless,” but should be considered when thinking about housing issues because their circumstances can help us understand why people become unhoused. This population includes those who have recently lost their jobs or are in domestic abuse situations. It can even include people who are spending more than 30% of their take-home income on housing.

A Note on Language

In this blog post, we sometimes use the term “homelessness” because it remains a familiar term, and because it’s the term used in the reports we reference. However, there is a growing interest in using terms like “unhoused” or “houselessness,” as they’re more inclusive of people who may not have a traditional dwelling, but who do have a place to call home (e.g., a car, a tiny home, or another community).

Language matters because the words we use can affect how we perceive others. You can read more about the impact of language in this previous blog post.

Statistics on Homelessness

As the Statistics Canada report mentions, measuring whether the unhoused population has grown is difficult and complex. Locating unhoused individuals can be difficult, stigma can discourage people from identifying themselves, and people’s situations can change rapidly. Nevertheless, here are a few studies that seek to answer the question of whether Canada’s unhoused population has increased.

National Shelter Study 2023 

The National Shelter Study from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada includes data from the years 2005 to 2023. It asks how many people use the shelter system, but it only covers around 70% of emergency shelter beds in Canada. It also doesn’t take into account domestic abuse shelters, transitional housing, and shelters for immigrants and refugees.

Here are some key findings from this report:

• There was a dramatic drop in shelter use in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, but by 2023, shelter use was comparable to 2019 numbers.
• An estimated 27.6% of people living in shelters met the definition of chronic homelessness, compared to 29.8% in 2022. But if we apply these percentages to the number of unhoused individuals, there is an increase in the number of people experiencing chronic homelessness in 2023.
• Indigenous Peoples are over-represented in the population of shelter users, but veterans are proportionally represented. The vast majority of shelter users are Canadian citizens.

Everyone Counts 2020-2022

Everyone Counts 2020-2022 is a Point-in-Time (PiT) Count, which means it’s a “one-day snapshot” of a community’s unhoused population. This report includes people who are unsheltered, sheltered, or in transitional housing.

Here are some key findings from this report:

• The number of unhoused people increased by 20% between 2018 and 2020-2022 among 67 communities that had this data. However, this may be at least partially attributed to better survey methods.
• Indigenous individuals and veterans were over-represented, accounting for 31% and 5% of people surveyed.
• 28% of people surveyed said insufficient was their main reason for becoming unhoused.

Association of Municipalities of Ontario

“Municipalities Under Pressure” is a collaborative report led by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, with HelpSeeker Technologies crunching the data. They use the term “known homelessness” to refer to those “known to the homelessness-serving system.” 

Here are some key findings from this report:

• An estimated 81,515 people in Ontario experienced known homelessness in 2024, which is a 25% increase from 2022.
• It’s estimated that in 2024, more than half of unhoused cases were chronically unhoused.
• Between 2016 and 2024, there was an estimated 204% increase in known homelessness in Northern Ontario.

Support for Community Members

People become unhoused for many reasons. While data can be helpful when learning about housing issues, people aren’t numbers; they’re individuals with rich lives, unique stories, and personality quirks. 

We consider everyone who walks through Regeneration Community Outreach a valued member of the community, no matter their living situation. Need support? Explore our essential care program for necessities like food, showers, and computers. You can also find groceries and household items at our Marketplace. If you have more questions or are interested in volunteering, contact us directly.