Youth Homelessness Prevention Toolkit
The Youth Homelessness Prevention Toolkit helps Community Entities take action on youth homelessness. It includes practical resources to guide funding decisions, engage Community Advisory Boards, and shift services for youth upstream. The toolkit supports community entities in delivering lasting, preventive solutions as part of a broader youth homelessness strategy.
In This Toolkit:
- Youth Homelessness in Canada – Overview of youth homelessness and its disproportionate impact on Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+, Black, and racialized youth.
- Causes of Youth Homelessness – Family conflict, poverty, child welfare involvement, and systemic discrimination.
- Impacts of Homelessness on Young People – Long-term effects on health, wellbeing, and social connections.
- Youth Homelessness Prevention – Housing-led, age-appropriate strategies to prevent homelessness before it starts and support stable exits.
- Community Systems Planning – Coordinated, cross-sector approaches to replace crisis-driven responses.
- Services and Strategies to Prevent Youth Homelessness – Interventions combining housing and supports.
- Youth Homelessness Prevention Initiatives – Evidence-based models to prevent youth homelessness and support stable youth transitions.
- Training and Technical Assistance – Capacity-building supports for implementing youth homelessness prevention models.
Youth Homelessness in Canada
“Youth homelessness” refers to the situation of young people between the ages of 13 and 24, living independently of parents or caregivers, who do not have the means or ability to acquire safe or stable accommodation. These youth lack sufficient income or adequate access to support networks necessary for a successful transition from childhood to adulthood.
- Youth aged 13 to 24 make up 20% of Canada’s homeless population.
- An estimated 6,000 youth experience homelessness on any given night in Canada.
- Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+, and racialized youth are overrepresented among youth experiencing homelessness.
- More than 40% of homeless youth had their first experience of homelessness before age 16.
Source: HomelessHub.ca/YouthWithoutHome
Key Resources
- Canadian Definition of Youth Homelessness
- Definition of Indigenous Homelessness in Canada
- Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey
- Youth and Homelessness | Homeless Hub
- Youth Homelessness | A Way Home Canada
Causes of Youth Homelessness
Experiences of homelessness among youth are complex and driven by several factors, such as family breakdown, poverty, discrimination or systemic barriers (e.g., colonialism, racism, sexism, homophobia).
Key causes include:
- Economic hardship, precarious housing
- Family conflict
- Health, mental health, or substance use concerns
- Involvement with child welfare
- School disengagement
- Inadequate social networks
Read Causes of Homelessness on the Homeless Hub
Impacts of Homelessness on Young People
Findings from the Without A Home study show youth who leave home at an early age are more likely to experience multiple episodes of homelessness or become chronically homeless, along with a range of other serious consequences.
- Half of youth experiencing homelessness leave school before graduation.
- Homeless youth are twice as likely to have chronic health conditions compared to housed youth.
- While fewer than 0.5% of all Canadian children and youth have had involvement with child protection services, 58% of homeless youth report past or current involvement.
- Over 60% of youth who are homeless report experiencing trauma, abuse, or neglect during childhood.
- Indigenous youth face a higher risk of homelessness than non-Indigenous youth due to intersecting experiences of prejudice, discrimination, and systemic violence.
Addressing these factors requires comprehensive strategies that encompass prevention, intervention, and support services tailored to the unique needs of homeless youth.
Early experiences of homelessness increase the risk of becoming entrenched over time leading to serious long-term consequences (Gaetz et al., 2016).
© 2025 | Canadian Observatory on Homelessness