A Way Home Canada Archives - News@91��ɫ

91��ɫ U prof available to speak to media on how to stop homelessness

egamulin — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Co-host of world’s largest conference on youth homelessness prevention says number one reason for homelessness is a lack of affordable housing; addressing family conflict key for adolescents

TORONTO, Feb. 20, 2025 – 91��ɫ Faculty of Education professor , also president of the , says after decades of research and advocacy work, homelessness prevention is no longer being treated as a “dirty word” by the policy makers, government agencies and not-for-profits he talks to.

The concept of prevention – basic on the surface, but previously met with so much resistance – seems to finally be having its moment, says Gaetz, perhaps in part because the problem has become impossible to ignore.

“Homelessness is on people's minds. The growth in the numbers in Toronto and across Canada and the rise in encampments make homelessness highly visible, and while what we are advocating for hasn’t changed, the resistance to these ideas certainly has,” says Gaetz, who along with Melanie Redman of is next week in Toronto.

“The main reason for homelessness in general is a lack of affordable housing, but for youth in particular, family conflict plays a huge role. Half of homeless people will have their first experience of homelessness under the age of 25, so preventing youth homelessness is a crucial part of tackling the larger crisis.”

Acknowledging that the housing ‘crisis’ is actually a chronic condition that continues to grow worse, Gaetz advocates for a public-health model of prevention. This includes broad strategies that benefit society as a whole, such as widely available affordable childcare and housing, to targeting those most at risk of homelessness, with specific strategies dealing with Indigenous homelessness, interventions for those facing imminent eviction, and for those who do find themselves homeless, swift interventions to house them immediately and make sure they don’t become homeless again.

A key intervention for youth is to enhance their family connections and other natural supports.

“If we focused our efforts on preventing youth homelessness, not only would we have better outcomes for young people, but also for their families and communities, and in the long run we would have an impact on chronic homelessness,” says Gaetz.

“Currently, youth who age out of foster care, hospital patients and those being released from prison are all being discharged into homelessness in this country. This should never happen.”

Held Monday, February 24 to Wednesday, February 26 at the Westin Harbour Castle, the conference will feature researchers, service providers, experts with lived experience and thought leaders from Canada and around the world, highlighting research that showcases evidence-based solutions to youth homelessness.

With more than 500 people registered for the event, Gaetz says to his knowledge it is the largest conference hosted on the topic of youth homelessness prevention to date. Gaetz is available at the conference and beyond to speak to the media on concrete strategies communities can adopt to prevent homelessness, and youth homelessness in particular.

Why half of homeless people first experience homelessness as youth and how addressing family conflict for both youth and their families is key
The connection between foster care, criminalization and homelessness
The key evidence-based interventions that have demonstrated how to prevent youth homelessness.
Why providing homeless people with housing is cheaper and more effective than focusing resources on the shelter system
Examples from around the world of governments successfully taking action to prevent homelessness

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91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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Government strategy on youth homelessness must focus on mental health needs, report says

roshanp — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 10:50:33 +0000

TORONTO, April 6, 2017 – Governments must focus on the mental health challenges faced by young people in Canada in order to effectively address youth homelessness, says a policy brief released today by researchers and community groups.

The by the ��, based at 91��ɫ, and , calls on federal, provincial and territorial governments to implement youth homelessness strategies that recognize marginalized and homeless youth are at higher risk of mental health challenges, poor quality of life, and suicide.�� The found that 85 per cent of young Canadians who are homeless are experiencing a mental health crisis, 42 per cent reported at least one suicide attempt, and 35 per cent reported at least one drug overdose requiring hospitalization.

“Rather than invest in prevention and rapid re-housing, our response to youth homelessness has been to wait until young people face acute crises before we do something. It is time to change our approach,” said Stephen Gaetz, 91��ɫ Professor and Director of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. “This is an opportunity for the Canadian government to become an international leader in addressing youth homelessness.”

Adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, systemic problems including barriers to accessing services, and structural issues such as racism often combine to worsen the mental health of youth experiencing homelessness. LGBTQ2S and Indigenous youth experiencing homelessness report markedly poorer mental health and face numerous barriers to accessing supports.

“Youth homelessness is an equity issue. All youth, regardless of their identity or poverty, deserve access to safe, affordable, and appropriate housing and health care. These are human rights, said Kaitlin Schwan, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. ��“The fact that Indigenous youth across Canada disproportionately experience homelessness and poor mental health demands an urgent response from all levels of government.”

Federal and provincial governments have made significant investments in homelessness and mental health recently. The federal government announced a 10-year, $5 billion dollar investment in mental health services earlier this year and most provinces and territories have now established new mental health transfers with Ottawa. The policy brief calls on the federal government to implement a youth homelessness strategy with a special focus on mental health and wellness, and for provincial and territorial governments to implement more targeted strategies.

“With this new federal investment in mental health, communities across Canada are positioned to make real progress on this issue. The key will be ensuring services are coordinated and communities set real, measurable targets for progress,” said Melanie Redman, Executive Director of A Way Home Canada.

The policy brief outlines six recommendations for federal, provincial, and territorial governments:

Develop and implement strategies to prevent and end youth homelessness, supported by targeted investments;
Invest in systems integration to address the mental health needs of youth experiencing homelessness;
Prioritize and invest in program models that focus on prevention and rapid exits from homelessness for youth;
Adopt a youth-centered approach to addressing youth homelessness, grounded in human rights;
Ensure that all strategies and program responses address the unique needs of diverse youth experiencing homelessness; and
Develop a national research strategy focused on youth homelessness, and invest in knowledge development and data management, in order to advance an integrated systems response to youth homelessness.

The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is a non-profit, non-partisan research institute that is committed to conducting and mobilizing research so as to contribute to real and sustainable solutions to homelessness.

A Way Home Canada is a national coalition dedicated to preventing and ending youth homelessness in Canada. We inspire and enable communities and all levels of government to organize, plan and implement strategies to address youth homelessness in a coordinated, measurable and impactful way.��

��is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.��

Media Contact:
Janice Walls, Media Relations, 91��ɫ, 416-455-4710, wallsj@yorku.ca

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New report calls on Ontario to step up and lead youth homeless strategy

roshanp — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 11:08:24 +0000

TORONTO, June 2, 2016 – Ontario has the opportunity to be a leader in eliminating youth homelessness through a targeted strategy that would not only manage the crisis but prevent it, says a new report released today by the (Homeless Hub) at 91��ɫ and Canada.

At the moment, most of the effort and investment goes toward managing the problem through emergency services and supports, such as shelters and day programs. But the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness policy brief, , states there needs to be a shift towards prevention, reducing it by moving young people out of homelessness in a planned way and ending youth homelessness.

The long-term consequences of youth homelessness include an increased risk of exploitation, violence, physical and sexual abuse, more involvement with police and the justice system, stress, depression, anxiety disorders, suicide and drug use.

“A targeted provincial strategy to address youth homelessness would not only curtail the negative consequences, but create new opportunities to improve the lives of many young people,” said 91��ɫ U Professor , director of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness.

The proposed provincial strategy would help increase housing stability for youth through rehousing or family reunification and prevent homelessness through education, enhanced family supports, as well as access to education, income and employment opportunities.

While Ontario has made strides and commitments toward eliminating homelessness in general – it has committed to ending chronic homelessness in 10 years – the policy brief points to how it can make a real difference for youth. On any given night, there are some 6,500 homeless youth on the streets. “More than a third of young people who experience homelessness in Canada are from Ontario,” said Gaetz. “Now is the time to act as there are more supports and higher recognition of the need for a youth homelessness strategy than ever before.”

A youth homelessness strategy should involve community planning, program interventions, including prevention, helping young people exit homelessness, training and support, as well as a mental health and addictions strategy. In addition, there should be targeted support for youth sub-populations, such as Indigenous and LGBTQ2S youth, which make up 25 to 40 per cent of the youth homeless population. These strategies should include the support of other levels of government and involve working with community partners and the mobilization of knowledge.

According to Melanie Redman, Executive Director of A Way Home Canada, “Communities across Ontario are either engaged in developing plans to prevent and end youth homelessness, or are poised to do so. The province has a real opportunity to support communities in these efforts, but the province does not have to do it alone. If we take a Collective Impact approach to youth homelessness we will go further faster in ensuring community plans lead to real change.”

For many, the path to adult homelessness began when they were young. Addressing youth homelessness now would impact the number of homeless adults in the future, but more supports and services designed to prevent youth homelessness are needed to make this happen.

��is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our 52,000 students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world's most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 24 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide.

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Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097 / sandramc@yorku.ca

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