Homeless Shelter Capacity in Canada, bed and shelter counts by target population and geographical location for emergency shelters, transitional housing, and domestic violence shelters.

The National Service Provider List (NSPL) is a comprehensive list of emergency and transitional homeless shelters with permanent beds in Canada. It is updated on an annual basis by the Homelessness Policy Directorate of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC). It includes information on bed capacity, location, and the clientele served by each service provider. The annual updates are made possible through collaborative efforts, relying on data contributions from service providers, communities, and various partners. This multifaceted information is gathered through a combination of primary and secondary research methods, as well as through collaborative data-sharing initiatives with jurisdictions utilizing the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) or comparable administrative systems for tracking homelessness data. Related Reports and Statistics: -The Shelter Capacity Report: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) - Data analysis, reports and publications (infc.gc.ca) https://secure.infc.gc.ca/homelessness-sans-abri/reports-rapports/publications-eng.html -Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0353-01 Homeless Shelter Capacity in Canada from 2016 to 2022, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) (statcan.gc.ca): https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410035301

BC Stats (with partners at the Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR), and BC Housing) has developed aggregated summary statistics estimating the homeless population in B.C. These estimates were derived from three administrative service use datasets from the Data Innovation Program (DIP): shelter use from BC Housing, social assistance payments from SDPR, demographic information from the Health medical service plan (MSP) central demographics file. The analytic definition of homelessness includes individuals who received income assistance with no fixed address for at least three consecutive months or those who visited a shelter at any time throughout the year. Estimates have been aggregated into four tables: * Annual estimates of the homeless population by age and gender * Annual estimates of the homeless population by chronicity category (chronic vs non-chronic homelessness) * Annual estimates of the homeless population by census division * Monthly estimates of the homeless population by service use (income assistance with no fixed address, shelter use, or both) \ Estimates are available for 2019-2022. Full methodology details are available in the Homeless Cohort Development - Technical Documentation resource.

People experiencing homelessness have historically had high mortality rates compared to housed individuals in Canada, a trend believed to have become exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this matched cohort study conducted in Toronto, Canada, we investigated all-cause mortality over a one-year period by following a random sample of people experiencing homelessness (n = 640) alongside matched housed (n = 6,400) and low-income housed (n = 6,400) individuals. Matching criteria included age, sex-assigned-at-birth, and Charlson comorbidity index. Data were sourced from the Ku-gaa-gii pimitizi-win cohort study and administrative databases from ICES. People experiencing homelessness had 2.7 deaths/100 person-years, compared to 0.7/100 person-years in both matched unexposed groups, representing an all-cause mortality unadjusted hazard ratio (uHR) of 3.7 (95% CI, 2.1–6.5). Younger homeless individuals had much higher uHRs than older groups (ages 25–44 years uHR 16.8 [95% CI 4.0–70.2]; ages 45–64 uHR 6.8 [95% CI 3.0–15.1]; ages 65+ uHR 0.35 [95% CI 0.1–2.6]). Homeless participants who died were, on average, 17 years younger than unexposed individuals. After adjusting for number of comorbidities and presence of mental health or substance use disorder, people experiencing homelessness still had more than twice the hazard of death (aHR 2.2 [95% CI 1.2–4.0]). Homelessness is an important risk factor for mortality; interventions to address this health disparity, such as increased focus on homelessness prevention, are urgently needed.

The annual Shelter Capacity Report provides capacity statistics for emergency homeless shelters, transitional housing and violence against women (VAW) shelters in Canada. The number of shelter facilities and the number of permanent beds are reported for each province and territory, as well as by community.

BackgroundHomelessness is one of the most disabling and precarious living conditions. The objective of this Delphi consensus study was to identify priority needs and at-risk population subgroups among homeless and vulnerably housed people to guide the development of a more responsive and person-centred clinical practice guideline.MethodsWe used a literature review and expert working group to produce an initial list of needs and at-risk subgroups of homeless and vulnerably housed populations. We then followed a modified Delphi consensus method, asking expert health professionals, using electronic surveys, and persons with lived experience of homelessness, using oral surveys, to prioritize needs and at-risk sub-populations across Canada. Criteria for ranking included potential for impact, extent of inequities and burden of illness. We set ratings of ≥ 60% to determine consensus over three rounds of surveys.FindingsEighty four health professionals and 76 persons with lived experience of homelessness participated from across Canada, achieving an overall 73% response rate. The participants identified priority needs including mental health and addiction care, facilitating access to permanent housing, facilitating access to income support and case management/care coordination. Participants also ranked specific homeless sub-populations in need of additional research including: Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit); youth, women and families; people with acquired brain injury, intellectual or physical disabilities; and refugees and other migrants.InterpretationThe inclusion of the perspectives of both expert health professionals and people with lived experience of homelessness provided validity in identifying real-world needs to guide systematic reviews in four key areas according to priority needs, as well as launch a number of working groups to explore how to adapt interventions for specific at-risk populations, to create evidence-based guidelines.

The data on this dashboard is divided into seven sections: demographics, housing pressures, housing supply, experiences of homelessness, shelter demand and occupancy, housing solutions, and the Centralized Wait List. Data for this dashboard was collected from a number of sources, including administrative data from the City of Ottawa, and publicly available data from Statistics Canada and the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, among other public data sources.Date Created: June 27th 2025 Update Frequency: Annually Last Reviewed: June 27th 2025Accuracy, Completeness, and Known Issues: The Housing Needs Assessment dashboard relies on data from Statistics Canada (Census), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), municipal administrative datasets, and local housing market information. Many data points include disaggregation by various demographic characteristics, including household characteristics, housing core need, the Point-in-Time count of people experiencing homelessness, shelter system capacity and demand sourced from the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS), and the Centralized Wait List. Some data points, such as average rent prices and housing stock amounts cannot be further aggregated using demographic characteristics. More information regarding data quality and methodology can be found within the full Housing Needs Assessment report.Attributes: The following data tables have been provided for the dataset, and are organized into themes.Demographics:Population by Age GroupHouseholdsImmigrant PopulationIncomeHousing Pressures:Housing CostsConsumer Price IndexVacancy RateHousing Supply:Housing DevelopmentHousing StockExperiences of Homelessness:Experiences of HomelessnessShelter Demand and Occupancy:Shelter Demand and CapacityShelter Average Length of StayHousing Solutions:Affordable and Supportive Units BuiltRent-Geared-to-Income and Housing BenefitsCentralized Wait List:Clients on Centralized Wait ListNew Centralized Wait List ApplicationsHoused from Centralized WaitlistData Steward: Liam McGuireData Steward Email: liam.mcguire@ottawa.caDepartment or Agency: Community and Social ServicesBranch/Unit: Housing Data, Research and Analytics Unit

Percent distribution of homeless individuals by barrier to housing, according to selected characteristics, Nipissing District, Ontario 2021.

Percent distribution of homeless individuals by reason for housing loss, according to selected characteristics, Nipissing District, Ontario 2021.

This dataset contains data of non-market housing projects - both the buildings owned by City of Vancouver, and the buildings provided by other agencies. Non-market housing is for low and moderate income singles and families, often subsidized through a variety of ways, including senior government support. This housing is managed through various operators, including the public, non-profit, co-op, and urban indigenous sectors. Non-market housing is located throughout Vancouver in the forms of social, supportive, and co-op housing. This dataset includes temporary modular housing, which are demountable structures, not permanently affixed to land and assembled within months. The inventory does not include the following types of housing:Special Needs Residential Facilities - includes community care facilities providing licensed care services, and group residences providing housing as required by law, rehabilitative programs, or temporary housingSingle Room Accommodation - privately-owned single room occupancy (SRO) hotels, rooming houses, and other housing with rooms less than 320 square feet, typically featuring units with a basic cooking setup and shared bathroomsShelters - provide temporary beds, meals, and services to the city's homeless population NoteUnit total (and breakdown) of projects could change over the course of development and are not captured real timeHousing projects with "proposed", "approved" and "under construction" status may not contain unit number breakdown by "Design"Housing projects with "proposed", "approved" and "under construction" status may not contain information on operator names or typeUnit total is the sum of clientele groups (families, seniors, and others) Data currencyThis dataset is updated weekly. Data accuracyData for this dataset is amalgamated from a number of sources. It is possible that some information may not be shown because of data synchronization issues. There may be some loss of quality from data entry errors.Non-housing market projects for which geographic coordinates are not available yet will not show up on the map or in the spatial formats. For a complete list, please consult the XLS or CSV formats. Websites for further informationSocial and market rental housingFind social and co-op housing in Vancouver

Objective: The amygdala is a brain region comprised of a group of functionally distinct nuclei that play a central role in social behavior. In homeless and precariously housed individuals, high rates of multimorbidity, and structural aspects of the environment may dysregulate social functioning. This study examined the neurobiological substrates of social connection in homeless and precariously housed persons by examining associations between amygdala nuclei volumes and social network size.Methods: Sixty participants (mean age 43.6 years; 73.3% male) were enrolled from an ongoing study of homeless and precariously housed adults in Vancouver, Canada. Social network size was assessed using the Arizona Social Support Interview Schedule. Amygdala nuclei volumes were extracted from anatomic T1-weighted MRI data. The central and basolateral amygdala nuclei were selected as they are implicated in anxiety-related and social behaviors. The hippocampus was included as a control brain region. Multivariable regression analysis investigated the relationship between amygdala nuclei volumes and social network size.Results: After controlling for age, sex, and total brain volume, individuals with the larger amygdala and central nucleus volumes had a larger network size. This association was not observed for the basolateral amygdala complex, though subsequent analysis found the basal and accessory basal nuclei of the basolateral amygdala were significantly associated with social network size. No association was found for the lateral amygdala nucleus or hippocampus.Conclusions: These findings suggest that select amygdala nuclei may be differentially involved in the social connections of persons with multimorbid illness and social marginalization.

This dataset is a descriptive account of capacity statistics for emergency homeless shelters in Canada. The number of emergency shelter facilities and the number of permanent beds are reported for each province and territory, as well as by community.