Justice for Girls has completed work on the research portion of the Housing Strategy to prevent girl homelessness across Canada. We are now in the process of pushing for the designation of housing and other programs specifically for girls who are homeless and inadequately housed.

Our main objective for the research portion of the Housing Strategy was to build an informed strategy, led by young women who have experienced poverty, on how girl homelessness can be prevented and what housing options need to be available to girls who are inadequately housed/homeless. Through gathering information about girl homelessness from girls themselves and from activists and support persons who work with marginalized girls and women, we prepared the following report, which is the culmination of our work:

Read More Than Bricks and Mortar: A Rights Based Strategy to Prevent Girl Homelessness in Canada.

The main focus of our work was to clearly define, through our interviews with girls and activists, and through reviewing research and gathering information, what a housing strategy for girls at risk of homelessness should look like.  We have always believed that solutions to girl homelessness must involve prevention of violence against girls, treatment for addictions, and access to education and human rights.  We are hoping that the housing strategy, by describing everything that has to come together for girls to truly be safe and housed decently, can affect people’s understanding of girl homelessness beyond the idea that a room alone is enough to stop girl homelessness.

In October 2005 we took statements on experiences of homelessness and inadequate housing from 17 young women from across Canada, to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing in Washington, DC.  We also submitted a report on girl homelessness in Canada to the Rapporteur.  The Rapporteur issued a final report on Women, Housing, and Land in February of 2006 in which he stated that girl homelessness is a national concern in Canada and that homeless girls as a group are particularly marginalized.

In 2006 the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, Cultural Rights called on Canada to provide housing and other services for girls who are homeless. The Committee's recommendation reads as follows:

"The Committee recommends that the State party [Canada] give special attention to the difficulties faced by homeless girls, who are more vulnerable to health risks and social and economic deprivation, and that it take all necessary measures to provide them with adequate housing and social and health services."

Recommendation 57 of the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on Economic, Social, Cultural Rights at its 2006 review of Canada's complaince with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.