A new Statistics Canada study reveals roughly 2.3 million Canadians 15 and older have had to temporarily live with family, friends, in their car or somewhere else because they had nowhere else to live. The 2014 study, Hidden Homelessness in Canada, focuses on Canadians who access accommodation but have no immediate prospect of permanent or stable housing. This population differs from the homeless population living on the streets or in shelters.
The study notes that 13 percent of the 7.2 million Canadians aged 15 and older who reported having a disability also reported having experienced hidden homelessness. This compares with six percent of Canadians who experienced hidden homelessness without a disability.
Individuals who reported having a mental or psychological illness (21 percent) or a learning disability (20 percent) had the highest likelihood of also reporting an experience of hidden homelessness.
In addition, people with lower levels of social support were more likely to have experienced hidden homelessness.
For more on the study, see the report on the StatsCan website.