Youth Homelessness and Mental Health
Youth homelessness is an important, yet often overlooked issue. The struggles faced by homeless youth go far beyond finding a place to sleep. The psychological impact of homelessness is profound, making it a crucial topic for our practice. Let’s explore some facts on the topic of youth homelessness, how therapy can play a pivotal role in supporting these young individuals, and how our collective efforts can help.
Youth Homelessness & Mental Health
Youth homelessness is a huge challenge across Canada. Unhoused youth between ages 13-24 are the fastest growing population of homeless people in the country, making up 20% of homeless Canadians. Almost half of these youth first experience homelessness before they turn 16. Ontario, specifically, is home to a third of all unhoused youth in Canada.
Homelessness and mental health are strongly connected. 1 in 5 Canadians are affected by mental illness, and the majority of people living with a mental illness first see symptoms before age 18. To be young and struggle with both mental illness and homelessness creates a complex reality of additional marginalization.
(Homeless Hub; Youth Without Shelter)
Who is Impacted by Youth Homelessness?
Youth who have a history of abuse, neglect, or family conflict are at a higher risk of experiencing homelessness. Additionally, LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately represented among the homeless population, often due to familial rejection or lack of acceptance.
(Choi et al., 2015; Samuels et al., 2019)
Unhoused youth face a host of other barriers alongside their mental health, and are more likely to belong to a variety of marginalized identities than housed folks. Almost a third of youth who are homeless are 2SLGBTQ+, Indigenous, and/or members of racialized communities.
(Covenant House Toronto)
Young people experiencing homelessness, particularly those with limited support systems, are more susceptible to exploitation and being trafficked for sex or labor. The instability and lack of resources experienced by homeless youth can make them targets for traffickers who may promise food, shelter, or other forms of support.
(Dank et al., 2017; Greenbaum, 2018)
Why Does Youth Homelessness Exist?
The causes of homelessness between youth and adults are distinct, and require different supports. The majority of homeless youth often experience childhood trauma and abuse, and come from families that have challenges with substance use. A quarter of youth had past involvement with the child welfare system, and may have moved through several foster homes prior to becoming homeless.
Many youth accessing housing supports were enrolled in school prior to becoming homeless, with family breakdown and parental conflict leading to loss of housing and dropping out of school.
Additionally, it is far more frequent for the experience of homelessness, and the associated trauma, to lead to street involvement and substance use to cope with their realities, as opposed to these being the causes of their homelessness.
(The RAFT Niagara; Youth Without Shelter)
Myths & Facts About Youth Homelessness
Due to depictions of homelessness in the media or the news, many people hold incorrect assumptions about people who are unhoused. The following are common myths, with the associated facts:
MYTH: They want to be homeless.
FACT: < 6% are homeless by choice.
These are the main reasons identified by youth in Toronto for why they experience homelessness:
Parental conflict
Not enough income
Experiencing parental abuse
Conflict with others
Unfit/unsafe living conditions
MYTH: Most of them live on the street.
FACT: Most homeless people don’t live on the street.
> 90% of the homeless population in Toronto stay in shelters
> 80% of Canada’s homeless are improperly housed/on the verge of eviction
Many sleep in temporary beds with friends/relatives, church basements, motels, abandoned buildings, vehicles, and other sites
MYTH: They don’t work.
FACT: Many homeless people are “working poor.”
They experience discrimination when applying for rentals, housing programs, income supports, or applying for jobs
Youth often don’t have the education/experience required for even minimum-wage jobs
Many are inexperienced and don’t know how to look/apply for housing
The majority of landlords are not open to having teenaged tenants
MYTH: They are dangerous.
FACT: It is extremely rare for there to be a violent encounter between homeless individuals and housed folk. The homeless are, in general, among the least threatening group in society; they are far more likely to be the victims of crimes rather than the perpetrators.
MYTH: They are heavy drug users.
FACT: ~1 in 5 homeless people use substances. Many in this group also live with mental illness.
(Youth Without Shelter)
Can Youth Homelessness Be Solved?
The issue of youth homelessness seems overwhelming. However, there are strategies and supports that have shown to be greatly effective. There are 3 key aspects identified to solve youth homelessness:
Prevention
Prevention needs to address key triggers of homelessness:
Family struggles with mental health & addiction
Poverty
Identity struggles
Abuse & violence
Inconsistent housing
Emergency Response
Emergency response includes:
Shelters
Access to services & food
Street outreach
Mental health supports
Harm reduction
Transitions out of Homelessness
Transitional care includes:
Youth-focused transitional & supportive housing
Long-term supports with education, training, employment, mental and physical health, legal support, and basic life skills
Local Youth Homelessness Resources
Youth-Focused Shelter
The RAFT Niagara
17 Centre Street, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 3A6
905-984-4365 or 1-833-984-4365
info@theraft.ca
Transitional & Supportive Housing
YWCA Niagara
183 King Street, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 3J5
289-273-4308
Matthew House Fort Erie
183 Central Ave., Fort Erie, ON, L2A 3S8
905-871-6059
CMHA Niagara
264 Welland Avenue, Suite 103, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 2P8
905-641-5222
Bethlehem Housing & Support Services
111 Church Street, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 3C9
905-641-1660, ext. 227
Street Outreach & Support
Niagara Assertive Street Outreach (NASO)
Call 2-1-1
Prevention & Food/Health/Family Services
Community Care of St. Catharines & Thorold
12 North Street, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 6W8
905-685-1349
