Project Overview

Our research aims to study the perceptions and experiences of people experiencing homelessness. Those with lived and living experience can offer valuable knowledge, experiences, and opinions about shelters, health services, resources, crime on the streets, gangs, encampments, drug markets, and more. Our main objective for this research is to use what we learn to better understand how policies and funding initiatives may better meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness in Canada, today and in the future.

This research investigates the perceptions and lived experiences of individuals experiencing homelessness in Canada through both qualitative and quantitative methods. By centring the voices of those directly impacted, the study explores critical issues including access to shelters, health services, street-level crime, gang involvement, encampments, and the dynamics of drug markets. 

Using qualitative methods such as interviews and narrative accounts, alongside quantitative tools like surveys and demographic analysis, this research aims to produce a holistic understanding of the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness. The findings will help assess how current policies, social services, and funding initiatives align with or overlook the real needs of this population.

All research conducted through this project has received ethics approval from the University of Alberta, the University of Manitoba, and Wilfrid Laurier University, ensuring compliance with the highest standards for research involving human participants. Confidentiality is a core priority, and all data is managed using strict protocols to safeguard the privacy and safety of every participant. 

The CCHS project includes 850+ interviews with people experiencing homelessness all across Canada (9 provinces in total), including Kelowna, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Winnipeg, Halifax, Fredericton, Charlottetown, Ottawa, Saint John’s, and more. Please see the graphic below for all research locations. More interviews in further locations are occurring regularly.

Thank you to our participants who have taken the time to share their experiences and knowledge with us! We are always happy to continue the conversation and to share our insights with participants directly. If you have participated in this study and want to chat, please feel free to send us a message in the Contact Us tab and we will get back to you.