Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: Canada

Summary of key data and information

	Summary of key data and information
Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1)	The Government of Canada’s Homelessness Strategy defines homelessness as the situation of an individual or family who does not have a permanent address or residence, and does not have the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it. Canada also has an official definition for chronic homelessness, and Indigenous homelessness.
Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3)	65 083 individuals, representing 0.16% of the total population (2025)
	35% are women, 62% are men
	Point-in-time data from 75 communities, based on Everyone Counts
	ETHOS Light groups included	Included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) Not included: ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing)
	Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4)	Data collection, for example through participation in the nationally co‑ordinated PIT Counts, is typically mandated through community funding agreements. Funding agreements include requirements related to carrying out projects in compliance with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws, by-laws and regulations, including any environmental legislation and legislation related to protection of information and privacy. At the federal level, this would include the Privacy Act, which provides for the protection of privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves held by a government institution and that provide individuals with a right of access to that information.
Homelessness Strategy (Table 5)	National Homelessness Strategy: Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy
Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6)	Everyone Counts: nationally co‑ordinated Point-in-Time (PiT) Counts which includes an annual enumeration of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness, and a survey every three years that gathers information about the causes and consequences of homelessness and those affected by it (Table 6.1) National Shelter Study: national analysis using emergency shelter data to estimate the number of individuals using homeless shelters each year (Table 6.2) Shelter Capacity Report: Annual report providing capacity statistics for emergency homeless shelters, transitional housing and violence against women (VAW) shelters. (Table 6.3) Canadian Housing Survey: Survey on housing needs and households’ experiences (Table 6.4) National Census: Census records information from people currently living in shelters and on experiences of homelessness over the past 12 months among those living in private households (Table 6.5) Homeless Individuals and Families Information System: Web-enabled data collection and case management system that enables service providers in the same community to access, collect, and share real-time data on homelessness to ensure people are connected to appropriate services at the correct time. (Table 6.6)

Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness

	Statistical definition
Homelessness	The situation of an individual or family who does not have a permanent address or residence, and does not have the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it. More specifically, homeless episodes can include time spent: In emergency shelters (permanent or overflow beds), referred to as sheltered homelessness; In unsheltered locations or places not intended for human habitation (e.g. parks), referred to as unsheltered homelessness; Staying temporarily with others (e.g. family or friends) without guarantee of continued residency (“couch surfing”), referred to as hidden homelessness; or, In short-term rentals with no security of tenure (e.g. paying for motels with income or savings), also referred to as hidden homelessness. Little data are available on homelessness experienced by those staying temporarily with others or in short-term rentals. As a result, published statistics encompass homelessness in shelters and unsheltered locations, as well as people who are provisionally accommodated in transitional housing.
Chronic homelessness	Persistent or long-term homelessness where people have: 1. Been homeless for at least 180 days at some point over the course of a year (not necessarily consecutive days); and/or 2. Recurrent episodes of homelessness over 3 years that total at least 18 months. The measure of chronicity only includes time spent time in the following living situations: 1. Unsheltered locations or places not intended for human habitation (e.g. parks); 2. Emergency shelters (permanent or overflow beds, including those for people experiencing domestic violence); 3. Staying temporarily with others (e.g. family or friends) without guarantee of continued residency (“couch surfing”); and Short-term rentals (for example, motels) without security of tenure.
Indigenous homelessness	Indigenous Peoples who are in the state of having no home due to colonisation, trauma and/or whose social, cultural, economic, and political conditions place them in poverty. Having no home includes: those who alternate between shelter and unsheltered, living on the street, couch surfing, using emergency shelters, living in unaffordable, inadequate, substandard and unsafe accommodations or living without the security of tenure; anyone regardless of age, released from facilities (such as hospitals, mental health and addiction treatment centres, prisons, transition houses), fleeing unsafe homes as a result of abuse in all its definitions, and any youth transitioning from all forms of care.

Source: Government of Canada’s Homelessness Strategy Directives (the Directives).

Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology

Year	Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals)	% of total population	ETHOS Light 1 People living rough	ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation	ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless	ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions	ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings	ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends
2020	40 713	0.11%	9 301	24 969	6 443	Not included	Included under ETHOS 1	Not included
2024	66 494	0.16%	17 514	38 776	10 204	Not included	Included under ETHOS 1	Not included
2025	65 083	0.16%	17 620	36 716	10 747	Not included	Included under ETHOS 1	Not included
Metadata: Type of count: Point-in-time Data are comparable across years: Yes Included in headline estimate: Children: Yes Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: Yes Refugees: Yes Victims/survivors of domestic violence: Yes

Note: Headline estimates of homelessness represent the results of point-in-time counts for a consistent set of 72 communities over 2020 to 2022 (for 2020), 2024, and 75 communities in 2025. Ethos Light 2 includes temporary accommodation for people experiencing homelessness, as well as shelters for asylum seekers, refugees and victims of domestic violence. For federal reporting purposes, ETHOS 1 and 5 are both considered part of unsheltered homelessness. As such, the enumeration of people in unsheltered locations also includes those in unconventional dwellings, but cannot be further disaggregated. As a supplementary data point to the core enumeration, an additional 6 466 people were counted in 64 communities spending the night in facilities of public health, treatment, and correctional systems facing imminent discharge to no fixed address (ETHOS Light 4). Due to challenges engaging with systems or individual facilities for data collection, this does not represent a comprehensive count of people experiencing homelessness temporarily accessing or being detained in other public systems and is therefore excluded from the headline estimate of people experiencing homelessness.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Infrastructure Canada (2025) Everyone Counts.

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2024

	Single adults	Men	Women	Youth (aged 15‑29)	Older people (aged 67 and over)	Families with children (# of households)
Headline estimate of homelessness	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
As percentage of total population experiencing homelessness	77%	62%	35%	19%	3%	8%
ETHOS Light 1: People living rough	80%	67%	30%	15%	2%	2%
ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation	81%	62%	35%	18%	4%	9%
ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless	76%	54%	44%	26%	3%	16%
ETHOS Light 4: People living in institutions	96%	79%	18%	22%	2%	1%
ETHOS Light 5: People living in unconventional dwellings	69%	64%	33%	14%	3%	2%
ETHOS Light 6: People staying with family/friends	64%	56%	41%	24%	2%	8%
Metadata: Type of count: Point-in-time Included in headline estimate: Children: Yes Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: Yes Refugees: Yes Victims/survivors of domestic violence: Yes

Note: Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive.1. Gender-disaggregated data correspond to survey results from the same night of people experiencing homelessness in unsheltered locations, shelters, transitional housing, staying with others, hotel or motels, health or correction systems, and in unknown locations. The people surveyed do not necessarily correspond to the people enumerated (nearly 60 000 people were enumerated, while over 37 000 people responded to the survey in 2024). The enumeration only included ETHOS 1, 2, 3 and 5, while the survey included ETHOS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The gender breakdown does not sum to 100%, since gender diverse people make up roughly 3% of survey respondents. 2. ETHOS Light categories do not sum to 100%, as people staying in self-funded hotels/motels were determined to be outside the scope of these categories but represented about 1% of survey respondents. 3. Data for families with children is based on the percentage of individual respondents who reported having children with them on the night of the count, not the number of households.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Infrastructure Canada (2024) Everyone Counts.

Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness

	Legal framework
Law that governs data collection on homelessness	Privacy Act National Housing Strategy Act (2019)
Legal obligations	At the national level, there is no legal obligation to conduct regular homeless counts; for instance, participation in the nationally co‑ordinated PIT count is not mandatory for all Canadian communities, although participation is required under the agreements for most communities receiving federal funding. Funding agreements include requirements related to carrying out projects in compliance with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws, by-laws and regulations, including any environmental legislation and legislation related to protection of information and privacy. At the federal level, this would include the Privacy Act, which provides for the protection of privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves held by a government institution and that provide individuals with a right of access to that information.

Table 5. Homelessness strategy

	Homelessness strategies in place
National Homelessness Strategy	National Homelessness Strategy: Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy
Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist	None.

Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness

6.1. Co‑ordinated Point-in-Time Counts – “Everyone Counts”
Description Annual enumeration of people experiencing homelessness in shelters, unsheltered locations, non-conventional dwellings (e.g. tents, cars and makeshift shelters), and transitional housing on a single night. Some communities also collect data on the number of people experiencing homelessness on the night of the enumeration in public systems (e.g. hospitals and correctional facilities) and/or those experiencing hidden homelessness (e.g. couch-surfing), however these data are not included in the core enumeration as data collection is highly variable and no methods have been identified to assess the coverage of a sample measuring hidden homelessness. A periodic survey (every three years) is conducted at the same time to gather information about the causes and consequences of homelessness and those affected by it. The count is led in participating communities by the designated Reaching Home Community Entity, Indigenous Homelessness Community Entity, a collaboration by the two or by a third-party contracted to lead the count. The official statistical data on homelessness in Canada are drawn from the results of these counts.
Type of count generated Point-in-time	Methods Street count Service‑based method
Lead authority(ies) Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada	Source(s) of information The results of the point-in-time count are reported to HICC
Scope Varies depending on the count; 75 communities (2025), mostly in urban centres, but including some more remote areas	Depth of data Key demographic characteristics (age, gender identity, sexual identity, racial identity, current health challenges, duration of homelessness etc.)
Frequency Annual Enumeration Triennial Survey
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources In recognition of the unique challenges of Indigenous communities, the federal government has adopted a separate definition of homelessness for Indigenous peoples and consults with Indigenous peoples and communities to ensure that the PiT accounts for the underrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in homelessness figures. Shelter-based surveys provide more in-depth information on the sheltered population but are not used for the official enumeration. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada - Everyone Counts 2024 - Highlights Report Part 1 – Enumeration of Homelessness; Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada - Everyone Counts 2024 Highlights Report Part 2 – Survey of people experiencing homelessness
6.2. National Shelter Study
Description Estimate of the number of users of emergency shelters across Canada. The most recent study covers the period 2005 to 2024. Domestic violence shelters, temporary shelters and transitional housing are excluded from the analysis.
Type of count generated Flow (period)	Methods Service‑based method
Lead authority(ies) Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC)	Source(s) of information Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) and provincial and municipal partners that have data sharing agreements with the Government of Canada
Scope National estimates, using data from 347 Emergency shelters across Canada (2024), covering approximately 70% of all shelter beds in Canada	Depth of data Key demographic characteristics of shelter clients (age, gender, geographic location etc.)
Frequency Annually
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources Exclusion of domestic violence shelters from the count may lead to an underrepresentation of women in the count.
6.3. Shelter Capacity Report
Description Capacity report for emergency homeless shelters. Includes data on the number of emergency shelters, transitional housing and domestic violence shelters. It excludes shelters that do not primarily target people experiencing homelessness (such as shelters for immigrants/refugees or pregnant women), as well as motel/hotels, supportive housing and correctional shelters.
Type of count generated Point-in-time	Methods Service‑based method
Lead authority(ies) Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC)	Source(s) of information National Service Provider List (NSPL)
Scope All emergency homeless shelters in Canada	Depth of data Number of beds by province, territory, community size and by clientele served Disaggregated by emergency shelters, transitional housing and domestic violence shelters. Disaggregated by number of shelters and beds serving exclusively men; exclusively women; both men and women; families; and exclusively youth.
Frequency Annually
ETHOS Light groups included: No groups directly counted, but provides information on the availability of various types of shelter resources
Notes and sources Infrastructure Canada - Shelter Capacity Report 2024
6.4. Canadian Housing Survey
Description The Canadian Housing Survey (CHS) is a household survey that samples from the population and households living in private dwellings. It provides information on how Canadians feel about their housing and how housing affects them. Information is collected on core housing need; dwelling characteristics and housing tenure; perceptions of economic hardship from housing costs; support and childcare payments; dwelling and neighbourhood satisfaction; perceptions of neighbourhood issues and safety; housing moves including forced moves; community engagement; life and community satisfaction; self-assessed health; experience with homelessness; socio-demographic characteristics; and access to transportation. Individuals who are unsheltered or living in collective dwellings like emergency relief shelters at the time of the survey are not in scope. However, the survey asks about past experiences with homelessness that include sheltered and unsheltered homelessness. The CHS can be used to do analysis on people who were unsheltered at one point in their lives, but not to inform the current count of homeless individuals and families.
Type of count generated Point-in-time	Methods Household survey Administrative data
Lead authority(ies) Statistics Canada	Source(s) of information Administrative data on income and immigration Respondents provide information
Scope Population and households living in private dwellings	Depth of data Demographic characteristics for identifying population groups (age, gender, immigration, visible minority, Indigenous identity) and socio-economic information on income, poverty, housing affordability and financial hardship.
Frequency Biennial
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources Surveys and statistical programs - Canadian Housing Survey (statcan.gc.ca)
6.5. National Census
Description National Census collecting information from all Canadian households through online or paper questionnaires. The census enumerates individuals in collective dwellings, which includes shelters, and, as of 2026, includes questions on experiences of homelessness over the past 12 months among those living in private households, and on current experiences of individuals living temporarily with others (e.g. sofa surfing) on census day.
Type of count generated Point-in-time	Methods Population Census
Lead authority(ies) Statistics Canada	Source(s) of information Population living in collective dwellings, including shelters
Scope National coverage	Depth of data Key demographic characteristics of census respondents
Frequency Every five years
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources Census of Population (statcan.gc.ca)
6.6. Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS)
Description Developed by the Government of Canada, and in collaboration with communities across Canada, HIFIS is a comprehensive data collection and case management system designed to support the day-to-day operational activities of Canadian homeless service providers. HIFIS enables participating communities to collect, access, and share reliable real-time homelessness data on homeless individuals within the same community through web-enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets, in order to ensure people experiencing or at risk of homelessness are effectively prioritised and referred to appropriate services at the correct time.
Type of count generated Flow (period)	Methods Information management system on individuals and families experiencing homelessness
Lead authority(ies) Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC)	Source(s) of information Participating communities across Canada
Scope Used by over 50 communities and by over 2 635 service providers (2024) – non-exhaustive	Depth of data Key demographic characteristics (age, gender, geographic location, etc.) Services provided to client Circumstances and outcomes of the client
Frequency Ongoing
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources Infrastructure Canada - Homeless Individuals and Families Information System

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1.Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housing-database.html.

This work is issued under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD, and does not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD Member countries. 

This document was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union. 

This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. 

  

© OECD 2026 

   Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) 

This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. By using this work, you accept to be bound by the terms of this licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 

Attribution – you must cite the work. 

Translations – you must cite the original work, identify changes to the original and add the following text: In the event of any discrepancy between the original work and the translation, only the text of original work should be considered valid. 

Adaptations – you must cite the original work and add the following text: This is an adaptation of an original work by the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed in this adaptation should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its Member countries. 

Third-party material – the licence does not apply to third-party material in the work. If using such material, you are responsible for obtaining permission from the third party and for any claims of infringement. 

You must not use the OECD logo, visual identity or cover image without express permission or suggest the OECD endorses your use of the work. 

Any dispute arising under this licence shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Arbitration Rules 2012. The seat of arbitration shall be Paris (France). The number of arbitrators shall be one.