Family Matters in Ontario: Understanding and Addressing Homelessness Among Newcomer Families in Canada

Background Canada, a key player in global humanitarian affairs is faced with enormous challenges in relation to housing and homelessness. As international migration continues to occur, homelessness among immigrant families is increasing worldwide; a situation that needs urgent attention and action. Purpose We designed this study to explore the needs of homeless families, identify risk factors associated with family homelessness, and to find strategies that could assist in mitigating and preventing homelessness among families in Canada. Methods This paper reports qualitative findings from a focused ethnographic study embedded in participatory action research that explored the experiences of 11 immigrant families with housing challenges in Ontario Canada. Results Thematic analysis yielded five (5) major themes: life challenges; lack of understanding of the system; difficulty with conflict resolution; escaping as a solution for hardship; and reducing immigrant family homelessness. Conclusion Findings from the study highlight the urgent need for advocacy and a well-tailored supportive housing policy to address family homelessness in Ontario.

The right to healthy housing

Health visitors are ideally placed to advise government on the plight of homeless families and the significant, enduring impact on the health of children

How Well Do Housing Vouchers Work for Black Families Experiencing Homelessness? Evidence from the Family Options Study

We investigate whether racial disparities exist among homeless families with priority access to the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. The families we studied moved from emergency shelter into subsidized housing and sometimes left the HCV program, and our results suggest that the HCV program works as well for Black families as it does for White families. The rates at which families used the vouchers to lease a housing unit are similarly high for each group. The rate at which families exit from the HCV program does not differ between White and Black families, but the factors that predict exit do differ by race. For all families, access to a voucher reduces returns to homelessness, doubling up, and moving. These results confirm that in the United States—a country with a history of racial disparities in housing—the HCV program can help alleviate the effects of severe poverty and provide housing opportunities that advantage both White and Black families.

‘Every day is hard, being outside, but you have to do it for your child’: Mixed-methods formative evaluation of a peer-led parenting intervention for homeless families

We conducted a mixed-methods, formative evaluation of a peer-led parenting intervention for homeless families. Participants were parents living in temporary accommodation with self-identified difficulties related to parenting an index child aged 2–11 years. An evidence-based programme (‘Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities’) was adapted for delivery with the target population in London, UK. We assessed feasibility in terms of session attendance rate, intervention completion rate and potential for impact on a range of parent-reported outcomes measures. Acceptability and appropriateness were examined by a user satisfaction measure and qualitative interviews. The intervention was delivered across three group cohorts ( N = 15). Thirteen parents completed the programme (including one parent who required two attempts). We found improvements in child behavioural difficulties, parenting knowledge and practices, while parental well-being and social support were unchanged. Participants were highly satisfied overall, with indications that the peer-led model mitigated negative expectancies of services and normalized experiences of parenting in challenging conditions. Parental self-care and ‘the good enough parent’ were strongly endorsed topics, although some content (e.g. timeout) was deemed impractical. These promising findings warrant further testing under controlled conditions.