Without A Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey

In addition, because services and resources
are not always adequate, young people
often experience:
• Difficulty accessing safe and
affordable housing, services, and
supports, sometimes because of
how those supports are organized
or because of age restrictions
• LGBTQ2S youth experience
barriers and challenges to
accessing healthcare and
support services due to a lack of
LGBTQ2S culturally competent
staff and homophobic and
transphobic discrimination
(Abramovich, 2012, 2013)
• Early onset of adult
responsibilities without the
requisite ongoing supports
(including income, housing, and
supportive adults in their lives)
to assist with this transition to
adulthood
• Challenges obtaining and
maintaining paid employment
• Challenges to educational
participation and achievement
• Homelessness systems and
services that focus on shortterm
emergency supports and/
or rush youth into independent
living (Baker-Collins, 2013; Bellot,
2005; Boivan et al., 2005; Gaetz
et al., 2010; Gaetz et al., 2013;
Gaetz, 2014a; Karabanow, 2004,
2009; Kidd, 2004, 2009, 2013;
Kulick et al., 2011; Milburn et al.,
2009; Saewyc et al., 2013).
“People tend to believe kids
who end up in shelters and/
or living on welfare are all
messed up, undisciplined
delinquents when a lot of the
time none of it is their fault.
I am not a bad person. Don’t
make me out to be.”
WOMAN, 16
One of the negative consequences of
housing instability and homelessness for
youth is that they are thrust into adult
roles (e.g., getting a job, finding housing,
financial management, sexual relations) at
an accelerated rate. This occurs alongside
limited access to many of the institutions
and activities that are designed to help
them navigate the transition to adulthood
(e.g., school, experiential learning, adult
mentoring).
In this section, we explore
the current situations and
experiences of young people
in Canada who have become
homeless.
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WITHOUT A HOME: THE NATIONAL YOUTH HOMELESSNESS SURVEY