Research Library

Future research / gaps identified

• Lack of empirical research in Canada that focuses directly on hidden homelessness, particularly with identifying the causes. This probably reflects the difficulty associated with its inquiry more than it does the seriousness of the topic.
• Difficulty in identifying the hidden homeless population, as there is no concrete definition of hidden homelessness. This makes research in this area even more challenging.
• Lack of suitable data to help researchers and policymakers understand more about the problem of hidden homelessness. Homeless censuses, which most major metropolitan areas conduct, miss much of the problem, and there is a need for better data to help address this issue.

Open access: No

Community organizations:

Integration timeline:

Key findings

• The study found that crowding is less prevalent in Calgary than in other cities, such as Toronto and Vancouver. The crowding propensities for Calgary are significantly lower than those for Toronto and Vancouver.
• Crowding is more prevalent in Edmonton than in Calgary.
• Income negatively relates to crowding for all groups in Calgary and Edmonton.  This suggests that higher income is associated with lower levels of residential overcrowding in these cities.

Key populations:

Key recommendations

• Gather data on crowding and hidden homelessness
• Create a common vocabulary to define hidden homelessness

• Identify what exactly residential crowding actually means

Location:  Canada in general including Calgary and Edmonton.