Facts

• On November 22, 1998 Homelessness was named a “national disaster”.
• The death rate for homeless people is eight to ten times higher than housed people of the same age.
• In Canada, one in six children live in poverty, among the highest rates in industrialized countries.
• More than 30,000 women, men and children crowd into (Toronto’s) homeless shelters annually. Many thousands more sleep on the streets.
• 150,000 households are on the brink of homelessness.
• Homelessness and insecure housing are triggering a health Crisis. The lack of safe, affordable housing leads to increased illness and premature death.
• Homelessness has been growing rapidly, almost six times faster than the overall population.
• 66,420 people (7% of Toronto’s population) have an annual income below $10,000.
• 30% of homeless people have mental illness.
• 552,525 people in Toronto live below the poverty line.
• The connection between impoverished workers and homelessness can be seen in homeless shelters, many of which house significant numbers of full-time wage earners. A survey of 24 U.S. cities found that 13% of persons in homeless situations are employed.
• Battered women who live in poverty are often forced to choose between abusive relationships and homelessness.

The above facts were taken from the Homelessness Action Group, The Blueprint to End Homelessness in Toronto, Homelessness in Toronto – A Review of Literature from a Toronto Perspective, the National Coalition for the Homeless and the Housing and Homelessness Report Card.