Filling in the gaps: examining the prevalence of Black homelessness in Canada
ISSN: 1460-8790
Article publication date: 19 October 2023
Issue publication date: 30 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Due to ongoing inequities in the social determinants of health and systemic barriers, homelessness continues to be a significant concern that disproportionately impacts racialized communities. Despite constituting a small proportion of the population, Black individuals are over-represented among people experiencing homelessness in many Canadian cities. However, although Black homelessness in Canada is a pressing issue, it has received limited attention in the academic literature. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reported prevalence of Black homelessness across Canada.
Design/methodology/approach
By consulting enumerations from 61 designated communities that participated in the 2018 Nationally Coordinated Point-in-Time Count and two regional repositories – one for homeless counts supported by the government of British Columbia and another from the Rural Development Network – this paper reports on the scale and scope of Black homelessness across Canada.
Findings
Significantly, these reports demonstrate that Black people are over-represented among those experiencing homelessness compared to local and national populations. These enumerations also demonstrate significant gaps in the reporting of Black homelessness and inadequate nuance in data collection methods, which limit the ability of respondents to describe their identity beyond “Black.”
Originality/value
This research provides an unprecedented examination of Black homelessness across Canada and concludes with recommendations to expand knowledge on this important and under-researched issue, provide suggestions for future iterations of homeless enumerations and facilitate the development of inclusive housing policy.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Declaration of interest statement: The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.
Citation
Wilkinson, A., Muhajir, K., Bailey-Brown, P., Jones, A. and Schiff, R. (2023), "Filling in the gaps: examining the prevalence of Black homelessness in Canada", Housing, Care and Support, Vol. 26 No. 3/4, pp. 103-114. https://doi.org/10.1108/HCS-04-2023-0006
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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