October 10th is World Homeless Day

The #CHVCatchUp is a monthly series featuring the latest updates and news from Covenant House Vancouver. Miss604 is proud to be the Official Blog Partner of CHV.

World Homeless Day Facts and Stats

The 10th of October marks World Homeless Day and it’s a chance for the global community to acknowledge those experiencing homelessness. World Homeless Day draws attention to homeless people’s needs, both locally and internationally, and it provides opportunities for the community to get involved in responding to homelessness. 

Here are some facts and stats regarding homeless youth in Canada:

• 20% of Canada’s¹ homeless population consists of young people between the ages of 13 and 24² 
• At least 6,000 young people experience homelessness every night³
• 40% of homeless youth first experience homelessness before the age of 16⁴
• Over 50% of homeless youth indicated that abuse at home contributed to their homelessness⁵

Real Youth Overcoming Homelessness 

During this time of year, Covenant House Vancouver reflects on the amazing feats that young people have accomplished. To honour the resilient young people that CHV sees every day, Youth Workers share their stories—meet Thomas.

Thomas and his Youth Worker were on the way back from a dental procedure when they struck up a conversation with Ted, their taxi driver. As a young man in Toronto, Ted had some challenges and ended up fighting to overcome homelessness. 

The similarities between Ted’s experiences and Thomas’ life were undeniable. Not only did they share similar struggles, but they both shared the desire to change their situations for the better. Read more about Ted’s talk with Thomas here. 

Ways to Support Those Experiencing Homelessness

Here are some ways that you can show your support and solidarity for those experiencing homelessness, on World Homeless Day:

• Educate people about homeless issues
• Celebrate and support those helping to end homelessness
• Highlight local issues in the media
• Donate to non-profits and service providers
• Volunteer
• Invite a guest speaker to your workplace or school (even virtually)
• Host a fundraiser
• Share posts about #WorldHomelessDay on social media

Since 1997, Covenant House Vancouver has been providing love and hope to youth experiencing homelessness. They are the premiere service provider of residential and outreach services for homeless and at-risk youth ages 16 to 24 in Vancouver. Follow Covenant House on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more info.

References

1. Gaetz, S., Gulliver, T., & Richter, T. (2014). The State of Homelessness in Canada: 2014. Toronto: The Homeless Hub Press
2. Gaetz, S., Dej, E., Richter, T., & Redman, M. (2016). The State of Homelessness in Canada 2016. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press
3. Gaetz, S., Dej, E., Richter, T., & Redman, M. (2016). The State of Homelessness in Canada 2016. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press
4. Gaetz, S., O’Grady, B., Kidd, S. and Schwan, K. (2016). Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press.
5. Gaetz, S., O’Grady, B., Kidd, S. and Schwan, K. (2016). Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press.