Homelessness 101
What is “homelessness” and what does it mean to experience it?
Homelessness is not limited to living on the streets. It can mean sleeping in shelters or in temporary accommodation like hospitals or couch surfing at a friend’s house. It can also mean having a home, but being at risk of losing it.
The reality is you can have a roof over your head and still be experiencing homelessness.
People may fluctuate between these living conditions, and the changes may be very dramatic. That’s because homelessness is not a static state; it’s a fluid experience.
Nobody experiences homelessness in the same way. But every person who is experiencing homelessness is vulnerable and lacks the income and supports to stay housed.
Who Experiences Homelessness?
Picture a person who is experiencing homelessness. Who do you see?
Is it a single man living on the streets? The woman forced to stay with her abuser because the streets are too dangerous, and she has nowhere else to go?
Or is it the 16-year old boy couch-surfing with friends, because his family can’t accept that he is gay? What about the parents and two children living in an emergency shelter?
The reality is that all these people—men and women, youth, and families—are experiencing homelessness in Calgary. Their experiences differ, but all of them lack permanent housing and the means and the ability to get it.
Knowing that homelessness affects all kinds of people is important, because it ensures that we don’t leave anyone behind in the unified against homelessness in Calgary.
Causes of Homelessness
Many people believe homelessness is the result of personal failure.
We know this misconception is far from the truth. There is no single cause for homelessness, and the experience arises from systemic issues like poverty and economic changes, combined with personal circumstances.
Together, these factors shape people’s experiences of homelessness.
Chronicity and Complexity
How does Calgary Homeless Foundation and the Homeless-Serving System of Care determine the best way to help a person who is experiencing homelessness?
We assess the length of time a person has spent in homelessness (chronicity) and the level of a person’s needs and how much help they will need to leave homelessness (complexity).
When we view people’s experiences of homelessness through chronicity and complexity, we begin to form a picture of the housing and supports that will help them journey home.
Myths About Homelessness
All of us have ideas about homelessness that affect our most vulnerable citizens.
Learn more the common myths surrounding homelessness and the truth about the experience.
