On Her Own Young Women And Homelessness In Canada

"This report explores the causes, demographics and patterns of homelessness among young women (aged 12 to 24) in Canada. It includes case study reports for eight cities based on interviews with more than 100 informants and previously unpublished data. Gender-and age-specific issues (ie, sexual violence, pregnancy, service gaps for mid-teens, minors and the child welfare system) are discussed. A critical review of programs and policies shows how they fail to assist young women who are homeless and those at risk. The report includes suggestions for change in services and programs, and recommendations for policy directions by various governments."--http://www.homelesshub.ca/

Homelessness, previously viewed as a male experience and problem, is being increasingly viewed as a problem among women, as reflected in a growing body of literature. This publication reviews literature on women's homelessness, focusing on Canadian research published since 1982. Discussion of the literature is organized under the following subject areas: discourse and homelessness, women and homelessness, violence against women and homelessness, health and homelessness, and women's shelters and related issues. The final section summarizes expert opinions from those who are working with homeless women across Canada regarding the most pressing issues currently affecting those women.

"Brings together leading and emerging researchers to advance understanding of the complex relationships between homelessness and health. Covering a wide range of topics from youth homelessness to end-of-life care, contributors outline policy and practice recommendations to respond to this public health crisis."--Back cover.

Based on research that was awarded the Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal, Healing Home is an exploration of the lives and health of young women experiencing homelessness. Vanessa Oliver employs an innovative methodology that blends sociology and storytelling practices to investigate these women’s access to health services, their understandings of health and health care delivery, and their health-seeking behaviours. Through their life stories, Oliver demonstrates how personal and social experiences shape health outcomes. In contrast to many previous studies that have focused on the deficits of these young people, Healing Home is both youth-centric and youth-positive in its approach: by foregrounding the narratives of the women themselves, Oliver empowers a sub-section of the population that traditionally has not had a voice in determining policies that shape their realities. Applying a strong, articulate, and systemic analysis to on-the-ground narratives, Oliver is able to offer fresh, incisive recommendations for health and social service providers with the potential to effect real-world change for this marginalized population.

The Dene, a traditionally nomadic people, have no word for homelessness, a rare condition in the Canadian North prior to the 1990s. Julia Christensen documents the rise of Indigenous homelessness and proposes solutions by interweaving analysis of the region’s unique history with personal narratives of homeless men and women in two cities – Yellowknife and Inuvik. What emerges is a larger story of displacement and intergenerational trauma, hope and renewal. Understanding what it means to be homeless in the North and how Indigenous people think about home and homemaking is the first step, Christensen argues, on the path to decolonizing existing approaches and practices.

Being Young and Homeless is an intimate portrayal of life on the street from the perspective of young people in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and Guatemala City. Jeff Karabanow passionately portrays street youth experiences in various locales, highlighting reasons for entering street life, struggles to survive on the street, encounters with service providers, and for some, the street exiting process. This insightful book is relevant for students and practitioners of social work, sociology, social administration, and public policy.