Homelessness Facts
Homelessness is only an urban problem.
Homelessness exists in rural communities across Canada. It just looks different. While people may be living on the streets, community members may also be couch surfing, sleeping in abandoned buildings, living in vehicles or homes without heat and electricity, or staying in motels and shelters. It is important to consider the entire spectrum of homelessness, as everyone’s journeys and experiences are different.
Rural communities don’t have homelessness because everyone knows everyone.
Because of the hidden nature of homelessness, you may not be aware of community members who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. In smaller communities, stigma and anonymity often can prevent community members from reaching out.
There are plenty of affordable housing options in rural areas.
There are few and limited affordable housing options in rural communities. In rural communities, rental housing is often limited, and at times is in poor condition or too expensive for people to afford.
If you’re homeless in a rural area, you can just go live off the land.
No one chooses to be homeless. In Canada’s harsh climate, many people experiencing homelessness suffer from frostbite, physical health challenges and tragically, some lose their lives.
Rural homelessness isn’t as serious or urgent.
Rural communities are facing increasing pressures with limited services. As urban systems become overwhelmed, more rural communities across Canada are taking action to provide prevention programs, housing supports, and develop emergency accommodations and supportive housing, often without sufficient funding or support.
Rural homelessness statistics are low, so it’s not a big issue.
Rural homelessness is significantly underreported due to data gaps. However, research is emerging that shows that rural homelessness is occurring at per capita rates that are equal to or greater than some of Canada’s largest urban centres (Schiff et al., 2023).
Rural homelessness is mostly caused by addiction or mental illness.
While addiction and mental illness may lead to some people experiencing homelessness, people often develop these challenges as a result of the trauma and instability caused by homelessness. Homelessness is driven by a number of complex factors including poverty, the loss of employment, domestic violence or systemic barriers that disproportionately impact marginalized groups.