Poverty & Housing
At Justice for Girls, we work to address the severe intersection of poverty, housing instability, and violence faced by teenage girls, especially those from marginalized communities. Across Canada, girls living in poverty face unique challenges when it comes to securing stable housing, accessing safe shelter, and receiving the support they need to thrive. For many, housing insecurity is not just about a lack of physical shelter—it is deeply tied to systemic issues like racism, colonialism, violence, and institutional neglect.
The Struggles Teenage Girls Face
Girls, particularly those who are Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, or have experienced violence, are disproportionately affected by poverty and housing instability. Too many are forced to sleep on the streets, in unsafe housing conditions, or in places that put them at risk of further trauma, sexual exploitation, or trafficking.1
Key Issues We Address
Lack of Safe, Affordable Housing for Girls
- Shelter beds for girls are scarce: The shortage of youth shelters and safe housing options means girls often end up in unsafe situations, including temporary shelters that fail to meet their specific needs.2
- Hostile environments in shelters: Many shelters and housing programs are not designed for teenage girls, leading to environments that can be unsafe, lack privacy, and fail to address the trauma many girls face.3
- Barriers to accessing housing: Discriminatory policies, lack of youth-friendly housing, and high rents leave girls struggling to find a place to call home.4
Gendered and Racialized Experiences of Poverty
- Indigenous girls are disproportionately impacted: Over 50% of the girls experiencing homelessness in Canada are Indigenous, yet they make up only 8% of the youth population. Historical and ongoing colonial violence, including the residential school system and child welfare systems, continues to affect them today.5
- Girls in care are at high risk of homelessness: Young women aging out of the child welfare system are especially vulnerable to homelessness. Without adequate transition support, they often face extreme challenges when trying to find stable housing and are frequently forced into survival mode.6
Criminalization Linked to Poverty and Housing Instability
- Girls experiencing homelessness are often criminalized for their survival behaviours, including things like panhandling or sexual exploitation to meet their needs. This increases their risk of entering the criminal justice system, where they face further systemic oppression.7
Key Actions
Related reports and submissions
A Space to Thrive: Young women in poverty say why they need integrated support, advocacy and education services of their own
Those who Take Us Away: Abusive policing and failures in protection of Indigenous women and girls in Northern BC Canada
JFG’s Submission to the Federal Finance Committee for Budget 2011
Our Advocacy and Action on Housing & Poverty
Justice for Girls has been at the forefront of advocating for systemic change to ensure that all girls have access to safe, supportive, and affordable housing. Below are key areas where we’ve worked to address housing instability and poverty:
Housing and Homelessness Advocacy
- Working with policymakers and governments: We have consistently lobbied for government action to address the root causes of homelessness among teenage girls, especially those who are marginalized or in the child welfare system.
- Supporting policy reform: Our work includes advocating for more youth-specific housing options, a reduction in barriers to accessing emergency housing, and the implementation of gender-responsive housing policies.
- Research and reports: We have produced reports on the systemic failures of housing programs, focusing on the inadequate resources for girls in crisis. This includes findings from our More than Bricks and Mortar report, which examines the challenges girls face in accessing safe housing and the need for systems designed to meet their specific needs.
Providing Direct Support to Girls in Crisis
- Individual advocacy for girls: We offer legal advocacy and support to girls facing homelessness, including helping them access emergency housing, file for legal protection, and navigate the application process for affordable housing.
- Housing alternatives: We work to ensure that girls at risk of homelessness have access to housing alternatives that are safe and culturally appropriate, including facilitating connections with Indigenous-run housing programs and mental health supports.
Addressing the Roots of Poverty
- Support for girls in the child welfare system: We have been vocal in advocating for better transitional programs for youth aging out of care, ensuring they have the resources to secure stable housing. Our work has included pushing for greater collaboration between child welfare services and housing organizations to provide a seamless transition.
- Economic justice for girls: Our advocacy also focuses on ensuring girls in poverty have access to education, job training, and other supports that help break the cycle of poverty. This includes pushing for systemic reforms that address the root causes of economic marginalization for girls.This is just placeholder text. Don’t be alarmed, this is just here to fill up space since your finalized copy isn’t ready yet. Once we have your content finalized, we’ll replace this placeholder text with your real content.
References
- Native Women’s Association of Canada. (2018). Trafficking of Indigenous women and girls in Canada [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/421/JUST/Brief/BR10002955/br-external/NativeWomensAssociationOfCanada-e.pdf
Statistics Canada. (2022, August 8). LGBTQ2+ people in Canada may be more vulnerable to challenges with housing [Article]. Retrieved from https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/1535-lbgtq2-people-canada-may-be-more-vulnerable-challenges-related-covid-19
The Trevor Project. (2022, February 3). Homelessness and housing instability among LGBTQ youth. Retrieved from https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/homelessness-and-housing-instability-among-lgbtq-youth-feb-2022/
Ontario Native Women’s Association. (2024). Impacts of federal housing investments on Indigenous women and housing stability [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/HUMA/Brief/BR13228754/br-external/OntarioNativeWomensAssociation-e.pdf
Native Women’s Association of Canada. (2014). Sexual exploitation and trafficking of Aboriginal women and girls [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.nwac.ca/assets-knowledge-centre/2014_NWAC_Human_Trafficking_and_Sexual_Exploitation_Report.pdf ↩︎ - Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. (2019). Youth homelessness in Canada: The road to a better future. https://homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/COH_youth_homelessness_road_to_better_future.pdf
Gaetz, S., Dej, E., Richter, T., & Redman, M. (2016). The State of Homelessness in Canada 2016. Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press. https://homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/SOHC16_final_20Oct2016.pdf
Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. (2022). Report on youth shelter access and challenges in Ontario. https://www.oacas.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Youth_Shelter_Report_2022.pdf ↩︎ - Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. (2020). Trauma-informed care and gender-specific housing solutions for homeless girls and youth. https://homelesshub.ca/resource/trauma-informed-care-gender-specific-housing-solutions-homeless-girls-and-youth
Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. (2021). Youth homelessness and child welfare: Shelter experiences of girls in care. https://www.oacas.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Youth-Homelessness-Child-Welfare-Shelter-Experiences.pdf
Native Women’s Association of Canada. (2018). Housing and homelessness among Indigenous women and girls. https://www.nwac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NWAC_Housing_Homelessness_Report.pdf ↩︎ - Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. (2021). Youth homelessness in Canada: Barriers to housing and service access. https://homelesshub.ca/resource/youth-homelessness-canada-barriers-housing-and-service-access
Ontario Human Rights Commission. (2020). Right to housing: Discrimination faced by marginalized youth. https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/right-housing-discrimination-faced-marginalized-youth ↩︎ - Gaetz, S., O’Grady, B., Kidd, S., & Schwan, K. (2016). Without a home: The national youth homelessness survey. Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press. https://www.homelesshub.ca/youthwithouthome ↩︎
- Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. (2020). Youth homelessness and child welfare: Pathways and barriers to stable housing. https://homelesshub.ca/resource/youth-homelessness-and-child-welfare-pathways-and-barriers-stable-housing
Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. (2021). Supporting youth transitioning from care: Housing challenges and recommendations. https://www.oacas.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Youth-Transitioning-from-Care-Report-2021.pdf
Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth (Ontario). (2017). Youth Leaving Care and Homelessness: Report on systemic issues. https://provincialadvocate.on.ca/resources/reports/youth-leaving-care-and-homelessness/ ↩︎ - Justice for Girls. (2017). Criminalization of homeless girls: Survival, stigma, and systemic violence. https://justiceforgirls.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Criminalization-of-Homeless-Girls.pdf
Native Women’s Association of Canada. (2018). Violence and criminalization faced by Indigenous girls and women experiencing homelessness. https://nwac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/NWAC_Violence_Criminalization_Report.pdf
Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. (2019). Youth homelessness and criminalization: The vicious cycle. https://homelesshub.ca/resource/youth-homelessness-and-criminalization-vicious-cycle ↩︎
What Needs to Change
More affordable, safe housing options for girls: We need a significant increase in the availability of shelters and permanent housing solutions specifically for girls and youth.
Policy change: Governments must implement policies that prioritize the needs of marginalized girls and ensure that housing programs are trauma-informed, gender-responsive, and culturally appropriate.
Address systemic violence: Addressing the root causes of poverty and housing insecurity for girls means tackling broader issues like colonialism, racism, and sexism that disproportionately affect marginalized girls.
What Girls Need
Stable housing options: Access to affordable, permanent housing that is safe, stable, and supportive.
Culturally safe services: Housing and support services that are specifically designed for the unique needs of Indigenous girls and those from marginalized communities.
Holistic, wraparound support: Access to services that go beyond housing—mental health supports, educational opportunities, legal advocacy, and youth engagement programs.
At Justice for Girls, we’re committed to creating systemic change to ensure that every girl, regardless of her background or circumstances, has the right to a safe, stable, and supportive home.