Education

Defining Homelessness and Language - The Spectrum of Homelessness & Housing Continuum

The national definition of homelessness also notes that individuals who become homeless can experience a range of physical living situations, including being:

Unsheltered: Absolutely homeless, living on the streets or in places not intended for human habitation (e.g., living on sidewalks, squares, parks, vehicles, garages, etc.).

Emergency Accommodated: People who are staying in emergency accommodations due to homelessness or family violence.

Provisionally Accommodated: People with an accommodation that is temporary or that lacks security for tenure (e.g., couch-surfing, living in transitional housing, living in abandoned buildings, living in places unfit for human habitation, people who are housed seasonally, people in domestic violence situations, etc.).

At Risk of Homelessness: People who are not currently homeless but whose economic and/or housing situation is precarious or does not meet public health and safety standards (e.g., people who are one missed rent payment away from eviction, people whose housing may be condemned for health, by-law, or safety violations, etc.)

Reference Footnote: (Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, 2012).

Directly from the housing and homelessness plan - A housing spectrum represents the range of housing types required to establish and sustain safe, healthy, and inclusive communities. Safe, healthy, and inclusive communities have a wide variety of adequate housing choices available that reflect the unique needs of the community. Addressing London and Middlesex’s housing shortage requires careful consideration of the entire housing spectrum.

<To keep this more local to Middlesex, we can reword or wait until the new homelessness plan is released to update the graphic description.>

Types of Housing

• Homeless: Living outside, in a vehicle or couch surfing
• Emergency Accommodations: Temporary accommodations for those who are homeless
• Transitional Housing: Temporary housing that provides support services to help individuals move towards more stable housing.
• Social or Subsidized Housing: Affordable rental housing for low-income individuals and families, often supported by government programs.
• Affordable Rental Housing: Rental housing that meets the needs and budget of individuals and families
• Affordable Home Ownership: Ownership that meets the needs and budget of individuals and families
• Private Market Rentals: Rental housing available at market rate without subsidies.

Indigenous Homelessness

Indigenous homelessness, more recently termed “houselessness,” considers the traumas imposed on Indigenous Peoples through colonialism. Indigenous houselessness is not only defined as lacking a structure of habitation; rather, it is more fully described and understood through a composite lens of Indigenous worldviews, including: “individuals, families, and communities isolated from their relationships to land, water, place, family, kin, each other, animals, cultures, languages, and identities” (Thistle, 2017).

Reference: Thistle, J. (2017). Indigenous Definition of Homelessness in Canada. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press. 

Coming Soon

Profiles of Housing Insecurity Experiences

• At-risk individuals may not realize they are housing insecure/precarious. They may experience challenges such as feeling that their rent or mortgage payment is too high for their income, or living in a home that needs major repairs, or requires financial support to maintain their amenities, such as heating and water. Additionally, they may live in an overcrowded home or cannot find affordable and adequate housing to match their needs, such as needing more bedrooms or accessibility features, due to the low availability of housing options within the community.
• Provisionally Accommodated individuals may find themselves spending more than 30% of their monthly income on housing and actively report not having enough income to support their basic expenses, such as food, clothing, medical, and housing. These individuals may experience employment instability, threats of eviction, a sudden health challenge or conflict in the home, such as rejection due to identity, lifestyle, financial strain, etc, which may lead them to accessing alternative accommodation supports, staying with a family member or friend. Additionally, these individuals may also have to borrow money, access financial support, or other support services to help make ends meet.

• Emergency Accommodated or Unsheltered individuals typically face layered challenges that add to their already complex housing and shelter experiences, like the examples listed above. In addition, these individuals may circulate between different housing situation types; they may be able to couch surf for a time, stay in a motel or hotel if they can afford the personal expense, or access an accommodation program if support is available. Other times, they may need to rely on taking refuge in a vehicle, tent, or other places that are not appropriate or healthy for residency, such as taking shelter under bridges, in parks and forests, abandoned buildings or shacks that are unfit for human habitation. Some individuals have spent the majority of the previous year either homeless or in transitional housing.

   

• Disclaimer: It is important to highlight that homelessness and experiences of housing insecurity can happen to anyone, at any time, for any reason. Homelessness and housing insecurity are often layers of complex situations or events that build upon one another, further adding to the difficulty of trying to reestablish a safe and secure housing situation.

   

• Indigenous Homelessness

Indigenous homelessness, more recently termed “houselessness,” considers the traumas imposed on Indigenous Peoples through colonialism. Indigenous houselessness is not only defined as lacking a structure of habitation; rather, it is more fully described and understood through a composite lens of Indigenous worldviews, including: “individuals, families, and communities isolated from their relationships to land, water, place, family, kin, each other, animals, cultures, languages, and identities” (Thistle, 2017).

Reference: Thistle, J. (2017). Indigenous Definition of Homelessness in Canada. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press. 

Based on the 2024 Point in Time count, 27 individuals participated in the survey, and an
additional 36 individuals were observed to be homeless. With the addition of individuals
who report having children sharing their housing situation, there are a minimum of 68
individuals who experience housing precarity.

Based on the 2024 Point in Time count, only 7% of individuals reported staying with
someone they know for the night of the survey, while 72% reported staying at either a
hotel/motel through a funded program or a transitional shelter/housing.

Sudden and extreme weather situations, such as high temperatures or freezing cold, create
greater challenges for those who are unsheltered, as they often do not have the correct
provisions to ensure their security.

Based on the 2024 Point in Time count, the top three reasons reported for housing loss are:
conflict with spouse/partner, not enough income for housing, and conflict with a
parent/guardian.

As reported in the 2024 Point in Time count, the average age at which someone had their
first experience with homelessness was 32 years of age. However, the youngest was 14
years old, and the oldest was 63. This highlights that homelessness can also look different
depending on the individual's age.

Based on the Point in Time count, 33% of individuals had reported their previous community
as London, Ontario, demonstrating a migration pattern away from the city for any number of
reasons.

• Homelessness - Myths vs. Facts

• Attainable Housing Review

Homelessness and housing are issues that affect everyone living in Middlesex County. The Middlesex County Homeless Prevention and Housing Plan ("Plan") commits to addressing housing and homelessness in Middlesex County.

Each plan incorporates the strategies and actions that will guide our work. Housing and homelessness are community issues. The plan calls on all sectors to work together to build solutions and move them to action.

The strength of the plan is to built from the experiences, insights, and ideas of our community partners – individuals and families with lived experience, service providers, funders, advocates, residents, experts, and policymakers. The Plan also builds on the foundational work communities have been doing in Middlesex County to meet the needs of individuals and families.

-> 2019-2024 - Homeless Prevention and Housing Plan

What is happening?

A review of Middlesex County’s Homeless Prevention and Housing Plan is underway and we want to hear from you.

It’s important that the County of Middlesex have a transformational community plan to help guide homeless prevention and housing over the next ten years. The review is an opportunity to identify local community needs and strengthen our overall plan.

Help us update the plan!

Complete a Survey: To share your ideas and insights, complete a survey by November 15, 2024, and invite others to do the same.

Facilitate a Community Conversation: Facilitate a community conversation by November 15, 2024, using the Community Conversation Toolkit, which has everything you need to facilitate a conversation with your neighbours, friends, or colleagues.

The survey and collection of toolkits is now closed, thank you to those who provided your input.