Introduction

Research on the State of Women’s Homelessness in Canada

Little is known about the unique experiences of women’s homelessness including the experiences of gender-diverse people. The reality is that women’s homelessness is often invisible and underestimated. The causes and conditions of women’s homelessness are different from male experiences of homelessness. Yet, homeless-specific services have predominantly been designed to meet the needs of single, adult males.

Through community-based research involving service providers and people with lived expertise of homelessness, a clearer picture is emerging of the unique and intersectional challenges of women’s homelessness. Using a gender-equity approach, teams of researchers and practitioners are exploring how gender intersects with structural and systemic factors. 

This training is part of a broader strategy to share promising practices and scale gender-specific solutions based on the 2020 report by Kaitlin Schwan and others on the State of Women’s Housing Need & Homelessness in Canada (2020). The goal of this work is to raise awareness and build capacity in the sector to support women and gender-diverse people to transition out of homelessness quickly into permanent, safe and appropriate housing.

For more information (and resources) on this topic, you may want to take a look at the Women’s National Housing & Homelessness Network (WNHHN).