Shelter Capacity Report 2023
On this page
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Context on data source and use
- Scope of the data
- National Overview: Emergency shelter capacity in Canada from 2016 to 2023
- Emergency shelter beds in Canada, by province and territory
- Emergency shelter capacity per 10,000 population from 2021 to 2023
- Emergency shelter capacity by community size, 2023
- Emergency shelter capacity by clientele served in Canada from 2016 to 2023
- Emergency shelter capacity per clientele served, by province and territory in 2023
- Annex A: Transitional housing capacity by province and territory from 2016 to 2023
- Annex B: Transitional housing capacity by clientele served, per province and territory in 2023
- Annex C: Domestic violence shelter capacity by province and territory from 2016 to 2023
- Annex D: Domestic violence shelter capacity by clientele served, per province and territory in 2023
- Key findings
- For more information
- References
- Appendix A: Glossary
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank service providers and communities across Canada, United Way Centraide Canada, and the 2-1-1 service network for their annual and continued collaboration in the development of the National Service Provider List. This support is key to advancing the understanding of homelessness in Canada.
Introduction
The Shelter Capacity Report is an annual descriptive account of capacity statistics for emergency homeless shelters in Canada. This report provides information on the number of emergency shelter facilities and permanent beds by province and territory, clientele served, and trends in shelter capacity from 2016 to 2023. This report also includes a comparison of bed count availability to population estimates and the distribution of shelters and beds by community size. Annual Statistics on transitional housing facilities and domestic violence shelters are in annexes A to D.
In addition to the Shelter Capacity Report, census subdivision-level capacity statistics for emergency shelters, transitional housing, and domestic violence shelters are available on the Statistics Canada website as a customizable table and as a dataset on the Open Government website. These provide detailed and accessible sources of information regarding the shelter landscape at various geographical levels, over a larger reference period (2016 to 2023).
Data source and use
Shelter capacity statistics are derived from the annual National Service Provider List, an annual comprehensive dataset of permanent homelessness shelter services in Canada. The list includes information on bed capacity, location, and the clientele served by these shelters. The 2023 list of emergency and transitional servicesFootnote1, including program names and addresses, is available on the Open Government website.
Maintained and regularly updated by the Homelessness Policy Directorate of Housing, Communities and Infrastructure Canada (HICC), the National Service Provider List is a cornerstone in understanding and addressing homelessness. The annual updates are made possible through collaborative efforts, relying on data contributions from service providers, communities, and various partners. This multifaceted information is gathered through a combination of primary and secondary research methods, as well as through collaborative data-sharing initiatives with jurisdictions utilizing the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) or comparable administrative systems for tracking homelessness data. The data from The National Service Provider List is not only used for reporting changes in national capacity but also for estimations of shelter useFootnote2 and chronic homelessnessFootnote3. Complete shelter capacity data from the National Service Provider List is available starting from 2016.
Scope of the data
The 2023 emergency shelter capacity data reflects the capacity as of December 2023. It includes shelters that meet the following criteria:
- Operational year-round, providing emergency beds at no cost to the client
- Open as of year-end (December 31, 2023)
Transitional housing facilities and domestic violence shelters included in this report must also be operational year-round and open as of December 31, 2023. They are generally offered at no cost to the client, but are still included if the cost is not tied to a lease contract.
The report also includes statistics from 2016 to 2023 to examine trends over time in the shelter system.
Some shelter services are not included in the analysis, as they may not be operational year-round, have complete data, or directly target the homeless population. They include:
- Temporary emergency shelters, including emergency weather response shelters and hotel spaces provided as shelter
- Supportive housing facilities
- Immigrant and refugee shelters
- Correctional services
Housing, Communities and Infrastructure Canada (HICC) classification of shelters
Shelters providing services under the same umbrella organization but to different target populations and/or genders, even if located at the same address, are listed as separate shelters. In addition, shelters that provide different services at the same location, such as offering both emergency services and transitional beds, are listed as separate services in the National Service Provider List due to the nature of the service.
Data limitations
New data come from newly operational services but also existing services that are new to the National Service Provider List. When updating the capacity information of emergency, transitional, and domestic violence shelters, HICC considers services for inclusion only if they are part of the homelessness serving sector, and fall under the scope outlined above. Changes in the number of shelters and beds are the results of a variety of changes in the shelter system within a year, including the opening and closure of shelters, changes or updates in the shelter type of service, and the separation or collapsing of services' capacity information based on the level of detail that service providers are able to offer.
National Overview: Emergency shelter capacity in Canada from 2016 to 2023
In 2023, there were 20,864 beds across 561 permanent emergency shelters in Canada. This represents a 13.0% increase in the number of emergency beds, and an 8.3% increase in the number of emergency shelters from 2022. National shelter capacity in permanent emergency shelters remained at stabilized numbers from 2016 to February 2020 (Figure 1). As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, shelter capacity decreased to 11,214 by August 2020 and by December 2021, total capacity had not seen a full recovery to pre-pandemic numbers. The number of total beds and shelters in 2022 and 2023 demonstrate a year-to-year rate of change in demand for shelter that we had not seen prior to COVID-19.
The increase from December 2021 to December 2022 in permanent emergency beds was 21.6% (+3,282). When compared to the change of from December 2022 to December 2023 of 13.0% (+2,397), this difference demonstrates the start of a stabilization in the year-to-year increase.
Figure 1: Number of emergency beds and shelters in Canada, 2016 to 2023
-
Figure 1 - Text version
Figure 1: Number of emergency beds and shelters in Canada, 2016 to 2023 Year
Number of permanent beds
Number of emergency shelters
2016
15,409
401
2017
15,623
411
2018
15,859
392
2019
16,271
423
2020
16,009
418
2021
15,185
437
2022
18,467
518
2023
20,864
561
Emergency shelters and beds in Canada by province and territory
There were notable increases in the number of beds seen in Nova Scotia from 295 to 698 (136.6%) and in Prince Edward Island from 24 to 85 (254.2%). In particular, the city of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia saw 404 beds in 2023, with the opening of a new permanent men’s shelter with 100 beds. In Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown saw an increase of 50 beds. In Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s added 59 beds, and in Saskatchewan, Regina saw an increase of 104 beds.
The provinces of British Columbia and Ontario had the largest increase in bed numbers, adding 695 and 772 beds respectively between December 2022 and December 2023. Particular growth in the number of beds in British Columbia was seen in Kamloops (65 beds), Kelowna (113 beds), and Vancouver (207 beds). In Ontario, large increases were seen in the cities of Guelph (78 beds), Mississauga (88 beds), Ottawa (307 beds), and Toronto (298 beds). Ottawa saw an increase in beds in a family shelter and in most men’s shelters. In Quebec, there was an increase of 83 beds in Montreal, and a notable increase of 36 beds in Terrebonne (from 34 in 2022). From 2021 to 2023, the number of shelters grew by 28%.
Figure 2: Number of emergency shelter beds by province and territory in 2023 and percentage changes from 2022
-
Figure 2 - Text version
Figure 2: Number of emergency shelter beds by province and territory in 2023 and percentage changes from 2022 Province and Territory
2022
2023
Percentage change
Newfoundland and Labrador
158
215
36.1%
Prince Edward Island
24
85
254.2%
Nova Scotia
295
698
136.6%
New Brunswick
254
307
20.9%
Quebec
2,608
2,735
4.9%
Ontario
7,767
8,539
9.9%
Manitoba
608
608
0.0%
Saskatchewan
501
608
21.4%
Alberta
2,758
2,878
4.4%
British Columbia
3,296
3,991
21.1%
Yukon
40%
40%
0.0%
Northwest Territories
65
67
3.1%
Nunavut
93
93
0.0%
Canada
18,467
20,864
13.0%
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 53 |
61 (+15%) |
67 (+10%) |
146 (+118%) |
125 (-14%) |
118 (-6%) |
158 (+34%) |
215 (+36%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 7 |
7 (0%) |
7 (0%) |
7 (0%) |
18 (+157%) |
26 (+44%) |
24 (-8%) |
85 (+254%) |
| Nova Scotia | 208 |
217 (+4%) |
220 (+1%) |
225 (+2%) |
243 (+8%) |
230 (-5%) |
295 (+28%) |
698 (+137%) |
| New Brunswick | 150 |
148 (-1%) |
157 (+6%) |
180 (+15%) |
253 (+41%) |
323 (+28%) |
254 (-21%) |
307 (+21%) |
| Quebec | 1,948 |
1,934 (-1%) |
1,757 (-9%) |
1,901 (+8%) |
1,658 (-13%) |
2,009 (+21%) |
2,608 (+30%) |
2,735 (+5%) |
| Ontario | 6,622 |
6,764 (+2%) |
6,898 (+2%) |
7,175 (+4%) |
7,351 (+2%) |
6,793 (-8%) |
7,767 (+14%) |
8,539 (+10%) |
| Manitoba | 661 |
661 (0%) |
650 (-2%) |
403 (-38%) |
436 (+8%) |
484 (+11%) |
608 (+26%) |
608 (0%) |
| Saskatchewan | 439 |
443 (+1%) |
476 (+7%) |
483 (+1%) |
407 (-16%) |
329 (-19%) |
501 (+52%) |
608 (+21%) |
| Alberta | 3,182 |
3,182 (0%) |
3,304 (+4%) |
3,258 (-1%) |
2,784 (-15%) |
2,254 (-19%) |
2,758 (+22%) |
2,878 (+4%) |
| British Columbia | 2,019 |
2,069 (+2%) |
2,170 (+5%) |
2,336 (+8%) |
2,534 (+8%) |
2,456 (-3%) |
3,296 (+34%) |
3,991 (+21%) |
| Yukon | 27 |
27 (0%) |
27 (0%) |
39 (+44%) |
59 (+51%) |
39 (-34%) |
40 (+3%) |
40 (0%) |
| Northwest Territories | 100 |
76 (-24%) |
82 (+8%) |
82 (0%) |
88 (+7%) |
65 (-26%) |
65 (0%) |
67 (+3%) |
| Nunavut | 34 |
34 (0%) |
44 (+29%) |
36 (-18%) |
53 (+47%) |
59 (+11%) |
93 (+58%) |
93 (0%) |
| Canada | 15,409 |
15,623 (+1%) |
15,859 (+2%) |
16,271 (+3%) |
16,009 (-2%) |
15,185 (-5%) |
18,467 (+22%) |
20,864 (+13%) |
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 5 |
6 (+20%) |
7 (+17%) |
14 (+100%) |
14 (0%) |
14 (0%) |
17 (+21%) |
17 (0%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 1 |
1 (0%) |
1 (0%) |
1 (0%) |
2 (+100%) |
3 (+50%) |
3 (0%) |
6 (+100%) |
| Nova Scotia | 8 |
9 (+13%) |
9 (0%) |
11 (+22%) |
11 (0%) |
11 (0%) |
14 (+27%) |
15 (+7%) |
| New Brunswick | 9 |
9 (0%) |
9 (0%) |
8 (-11%) |
8 (0%) |
9 (13%) |
11 (+22%) |
12 (+9%) |
| Quebec | 74 |
75 (+1%) |
65 (-13%) |
76 (+17%) |
74 (-3%) |
92 (24%) |
112 (+22%) |
119 (+6%) |
| Ontario | 147 |
149 (+1%) |
149 (0%) |
159 (+7%) |
160 (+1%) |
157 (-2%) |
173 (+10%) |
174 (+1%) |
| Manitoba | 15 |
15 (0%) |
13 (-13%) |
12 (-8%) |
16 (+33%) |
19 (+19%) |
15 (-21%) |
15 (0%) |
| Saskatchewan | 21 |
21 (0%) |
18 (-14%) |
17 (-6%) |
15 (-12%) |
16 (+7%) |
25 (+56%) |
29 (+16%) |
| Alberta | 36 |
36 (0%) |
35 (-3%) |
38 (+9%) |
30 (-21%) |
26 (-13%) |
33 (+27%) |
34 (+3%) |
| British Columbia | 76 |
77 (+1%) |
78 (+1%) |
79 (+1%) |
79 (0%) |
81 (+3%) |
103 (+27%) |
128 (+24%) |
| Yukon | 3 |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
| Northwest Territories | 4 |
3 (-25%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
| Nunavut | 2 |
2 (0%) |
2 (0%) |
2 (0%) |
3 (+50%) |
3 (0%) |
6 (+100%) |
6 (0%) |
| Canada | 401 |
411 (+2%) |
392 (-5%) |
423 (+8%) |
418 (-1%) |
437 (+5%) |
518 (+19%) |
561 (8%) |
Emergency shelter capacity per 10,000 population from 2021 to 2023
While bed counts are a measure of total capacity within each province and territory, per capita counts are an indicator of relative demand for shelter in each region. This rate can change over time as bed numbers and population numbers fluctuate. In Figure 3, the number of emergency shelter beds per 10,000 population (as measured by using Q4 population estimates for a specific year) is provided by province and territory.
The number of emergency shelter beds per 10,000 people in Canada increased by 10.6% from 4.7 in 2022 to 5.2 in 2023, after a 20.5% in 2022 from 3.9 in 2021. This increase in shelter beds per capita may demonstrate efforts to address an increased demand for shelter capacity.
Figure 3: Number of emergency shelter beds per 10,000 population by province and territory from 2021 to 2023
-
Figure 3 - Text version
Figure 3: Number of emergency shelter beds per 10,000 population by province and territory from 2021 to 2023 Province and territory
2021 (with population estimates Q4 2021)
2022 (with population estimates Q4 2022)
2023 (with population estimates Q4 2023)
Newfoundland and Labrador
2.2
3.0
4.0
Prince Edward Island
1.6
1.4
4.8
Nova Scotia
2.3
2.8
6.5
New Brunswick
4.1
3.1
3.6
Quebec
2.3
3.0
3.1
Ontario
4.5
5.1
5.4
Manitoba
3.5
4.3
4.1
Saskatchewan
2.8
4.2
5.0
Alberta
5.1
6.0
6.1
British Columbia
4.7
6.1
7.2
Yukon
9.0
9.1
8.9
Northwest Territories
14.6
14.6
15.0
Nunavut
14.7
23.0
22.8
Canada
3.9
4.7
5.2
Distribution of emergency shelters and beds by community size, 2023
There were 193 communitiesFootnote4 across Canada that had one or more permanent emergency shelters in 2023, with a total population of 23,550,526. Of all permanent emergency beds, large communities held 77.9%, medium communities 14.7%, and small communities 7.4%. add sentence on distribution of shelters
Figure 4: Distribution of emergency shelters and permanent beds by community size in 2023
-
Figure 4 - Text version
Figure 4: Distribution of emergency shelters and permanent beds by community size in 2023 Distribution of emergency shelters and beds by community size, 2023
Percentage of all beds
Percentage of all shelters
Large communities
77.9%
57.8%
Medium communities
14.7%
23.0%
Small communities
7.4%
19.3%
The number of available beds increased across all three categories of community size, with medium communities showing the biggest increase:
Figure 5: Number of emergency beds by community size, and increase from 2022 to 2023
-
Figure 5 - Text version
Figure 5: Number of emergency beds by community size, and increase from 2022 to 2023 Distribution of emergency shelters and beds by community size, 2023
2022
2023
% change
Large communities
14,903
16,258
+9.1%
Medium communities
2,179
3,059
+40.4%
Small communities
1,366
1,537
+12.5%
While a larger percentage increase was seen for medium communities, the greatest increase in the number of beds was seen in large communities (1,355 beds).
Emergency shelter capacity by clientele served in Canada from 2016 to 2023
The total number of emergency shelter beds across Canada is categorized by clientele served. For this analysis, the total number of beds per year is separated under one of the following categories: adult (all genders), only adult men, only adult women, youth, or familiesFootnote5.
- In 2023, beds serving the general adult population (all genders) accounted for 43% of all beds across Canada and is the clientele served that saw the largest increase in beds (21% or 1,587 beds) from 2022.
- Beds serving only adult men accounted for almost 25% of all beds in 2023 and saw a 9% (425 beds) increase from 2022. Beds serving only adult women accounted for 8% of total beds and saw a 6% (105 beds) decrease from 2022.
- Beds serving youth accounted for 8% of all beds and saw a significant increase of 29% (366 beds) from 2022.
- Beds serving families accounted for 17% of all beds and saw a mild increase of 3% (114 beds) from 2022.
Figure 6: Number of emergency shelter beds in Canada per clientele served, 2016 to 2023
-
Figure 6 - Text version
Figure 6: Number of emergency shelter beds in Canada per clientele served, 2016 to 2023 Clientele served
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
General
5,535
5,653
5,959
6,062
6,559
6,013
7,438
9,025
Men
4,527
4,664
4,820
5,023
4,367
3,955
4,628
5,063
Women
2,091
2,083
2,029
1,976
2,015
1,607
1,687
1,582
Youth
1,536
1,535
1,442
1,472
1,451
1,091
1,275
1,641
Families
1,720
1,688
1,609
1,738
1,617
2,519
3,439
3,553
Of all emergency shelters in Canada that provided on gender inclusivity specifications through the data collection, 89% of them were inclusive to transgender men, transgender women, and/or gender non-confirming persons as part of their clientele.
In 2023, there were 42 services identified as immigrant/refugee shelters, which are in a separate category from emergency, transitional, or domestic violence shelters. The nature of these services varied from short-term temporary shelters, to transitional housing to accommodate families for a longer period of time. The clientele types served by these services included the general adult population, families, adult women, and adult men.
Emergency shelter capacity per clientele served, by province and territory in 2023
The table below provides the breakdown of total number of shelters and beds by province and territory, categorized based on clientele served. With the overall increase of beds serving the general adult population increased by 22% from 2022.
The regions with the largest increases in general beds were Prince Edward Island (0 to 50 beds), Nova Scotia (+278% from 148), Ontario (+15% from 1,675), and British Columbia (+36% from 1,915). Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and British Columbia saw decreases in the number of women’s beds from 2022, leading this category of clientele to have the smallest number of beds in 2023. The number of youth beds in Ontario increased considerably, with Toronto adding 160 beds and Ottawa adding 30. In Saskatchewan, Regina saw an increase of 25 youth beds.
This data is also captured at the census subdivision level and clientele type from 2016 to 2023 into a customizable Statistics Canada tableFootnote6.
| Province and Territory | General beds | Men's beds | Women's beds | Youth beds | Family beds | Total beds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 186 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
29 |
215 |
| Prince Edward Island | 50 |
16 |
8 |
11 |
0 |
85 |
| Nova Scotia | 560 |
76 |
17 |
17 |
28 |
698 |
| New Brunswick | 158 |
102 |
41 |
0 |
6 |
307 |
| Quebec | 1,032 |
842 |
269 |
296 |
296 |
2,735 |
| Ontario | 1,938 |
2,546 |
926 |
2,351 |
778 |
8,539 |
| Manitoba | 420 |
75 |
0 |
83 |
30 |
608 |
| Saskatchewan | 146 |
155 |
66 |
64 |
177 |
608 |
| Alberta | 1,915 |
435 |
46 |
396 |
86 |
2,878 |
| British Columbia | 2,596 |
694 |
197 |
323 |
181 |
3,991 |
| Yukon | 24 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
40 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 |
46 |
12 |
0 |
9 |
67 |
| Nunavut | 0 |
71 |
0 |
12 |
10 |
93 |
| Canada | 9,025 |
5,063 |
1,582 |
3,553 |
1,641 |
20,864 |
| Province and Territory | General shelters | Men's shelters | Women's shelters | Youth shelters | Family shelters | Total shelters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 13 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
17 |
| Prince Edward Island | 1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
| Nova Scotia | 8 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
15 |
| New Brunswick | 5 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
| Quebec | 45 |
14 |
14 |
28 |
18 |
119 |
| Ontario | 41 |
43 |
24 |
36 |
30 |
174 |
| Manitoba | 9 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
15 |
| Saskatchewan | 2 |
5 |
3 |
17 |
2 |
29 |
| Alberta | 13 |
3 |
3 |
7 |
8 |
34 |
| British Columbia | 72 |
16 |
8 |
20 |
12 |
128 |
| Yukon | 1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
| Nunavut | 0 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
| Canada | 210 |
96 |
58 |
121 |
76 |
561 |
Annex A: Transitional housing capacity by province and territory from 2016 to 2023
There was a 4.4% decrease in the number of transitional beds from December 2022 to December 2023, along with a decrease in the number of transitional shelters of 7.6%. With the exception of Prince Edward Island, Alberta, and Yukon, all provinces showed decreases in the number of beds, or remained the same as 2022. Nevertheless, the total number of transitional beds has increased steadily since 2016, with a prominent spike in 2022. A reason for a stabilization and slight decrease from 2022 to 2023 is likely the recategorization of service providers, identifying better as serving as an emergency shelter, or in many cases more as long-term supportive housing rather than transitional.
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 113 |
113 (0%) |
102 (-10%) |
102 (0%) |
32 (-69%) |
32 (0%) |
72 (+125%) |
58 (-19%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
4 (-56%) |
48 (+1100%) |
| Nova Scotia | 76 |
66 (-13%) |
119 (+80%) |
128 (+8%) |
125 (-2%) |
148 (+18%) |
286 (+93%) |
212 (-26%) |
| New Brunswick | 20 |
24 (+20%) |
14 (-42%) |
37 (+164%) |
48 (+30%) |
66 (+38%) |
128 (+94%) |
99 (-23%) |
| Quebec | 1,783 |
1,783 (0%) |
2,522 (+41%) |
2,428 (-4%) |
2,358 (-3%) |
2,796 (+19%) |
3,841 (+37%) |
3,521 (-8%) |
| Ontario | 2,098 |
2,189 (+4%) |
2,188 (0%) |
2,134 (-2%) |
2,128 (0%) |
2,764 (+30%) |
3,642 (+32%) |
3,216 (-12%) |
| Manitoba | 286 |
286 (0%) |
229 (-20%) |
349 (+52%) |
441 (+26%) |
297 (-33%) |
504 (+70%) |
504 (0%) |
| Saskatchewan | 396 |
392 (-1%) |
328 (-16%) |
309 (-6%) |
235 (-24%) |
244 (+4%) |
789 (+223%) |
544 (-31%) |
| Alberta | 1,213 |
1,203 (-1%) |
1,177 (-2%) |
1,135 (-4%) |
1,108 (-2%) |
711 (-36%) |
887 (+25%) |
1,484 (-100%) |
| British Columbia | 804 |
854 (+6%) |
901 (6%) |
972 (+8%) |
1,179 (+21%) |
1,017 (-14%) |
1,695 |
1,635 (-4%) |
| Yukon | 0 |
0 |
2 |
2 (0%) |
4 (+100%) |
0 |
1 |
6 (+500%) |
| Northwest Territories | 37 |
76 (+105%) |
63 (-17%) |
98 (56%) |
97 (-1%) |
66 (-32%) |
60 (-9%) |
56 (-7%) |
| Nunavut | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
26 (0%) |
| Canada | 6,816 |
6,986 (+2%) |
7,645 (+9%) |
7,694 (+1%) |
7,773 (+1%) |
8,150 (+5%) |
11,935 (+46%) |
11,409 (-4%) |
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 7 |
7 (0%) |
4 (-43%) |
4 (0%) |
4 (0%) |
4 (0%) |
8 (+100%) |
6 (-25%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 (0%) |
4 (+300%) |
| Nova Scotia | 6 |
6 (0%) |
8 (+33%) |
10 (+25%) |
10 (0%) |
12 (+20%) |
22 (+83%) |
15 (-32%) |
| New Brunswick | 2 |
3 (+50%) |
2 (-33%) |
4 (+100%) |
7 (+75%) |
13 (+86%) |
14 (+8%) |
13 (-7%) |
| Quebec | 95 |
95 (0%) |
114 (+20%) |
114 (0%) |
116 (+2%) |
153 (+32%) |
198 (+29%) |
180 (-9%) |
| Ontario | 79 |
75 (-5%) |
104 (+39%) |
106 (+2%) |
116 (+9%) |
149 (+28%) |
171 (+15%) |
144 (-16%) |
| Manitoba | 14 |
14 (0%) |
10 (-29%) |
10 (0%) |
11 (+10%) |
16 (+45%) |
24 (+50%) |
24 (0%) |
| Saskatchewan | 26 |
28 (+8%) |
22 (-21%) |
23 (+5%) |
20 (-13%) |
22 (+10%) |
49 (+123%) |
46 (-6%) |
| Alberta | 31 |
31 (0%) |
37 (+19%) |
36 (-3%) |
38 (+6%) |
35 (-8%) |
39 (+11%) |
49 (+26%) |
| British Columbia | 31 |
34 (+10%) |
33 (-3%) |
33 (0%) |
41 (+24%) |
43 (+5%) |
71 (+65%) |
70 (-1%) |
| Yukon | 0 |
0 |
1 |
1 (0%) |
2 (+100%) |
0 (-100%) |
1 |
1 (0%) |
| Northwest Territories | 2 |
2 (0%) |
3 (+50%) |
5 (+67%) |
5 (0%) |
4 (-20%) |
3 (-25%) |
3 (0%) |
| Nunavut | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 (0%) |
| Canada | 286 |
295 (+3%) |
338 (+15%) |
346 (+2%) |
370 (+7%) |
452 (+22%) |
602 (+33%) |
556 (-8%) |
Annex B: Transitional housing capacity by clientele served, per province and territory in 2023
Of all transitional housing beds in 2023, 38% corresponded to the general adult population, 21% to adult men, 9% to adult women, 18% to youth, and 15% to families. General beds decreased most significantly in Ontario by 17%. While the number of women’s beds increased by 30% they still held the smallest proportion of total beds.
| Province and Territory | General beds | Men's beds | Women's beds | Youth beds | Family beds | Total beds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 3 |
10 |
0 |
45 |
0 |
58 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 |
22 |
22 |
0 |
4 |
48 |
| Nova Scotia | 81 |
0 |
60 |
71 |
0 |
212 |
| New Brunswick | 44 |
11 |
12 |
32 |
0 |
99 |
| Quebec | 1,262 |
686 |
210 |
618 |
745 |
3,521 |
| Ontario | 1,194 |
891 |
283 |
614 |
234 |
3,216 |
| Manitoba | 364 |
70 |
8 |
30 |
32 |
504 |
| Saskatchewan | 122 |
41 |
15 |
179 |
187 |
544 |
| Alberta | 189 |
403 |
244 |
244 |
404 |
1,484 |
| British Columbia | 1,087 |
161 |
104 |
167 |
116 |
1,635 |
| Yukon | 0 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 |
32 |
14 |
10 |
0 |
56 |
| Nunavut | 0 |
26 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
| Canada | 4,346 |
2,359 |
972 |
2,010 |
1,722 |
11,409 |
| Province and Territory | General shelters | Men's shelters | Women's shelters | Youth shelters | Family shelters | Total shelters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 1 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
6 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
| Nova Scotia | 5 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
15 |
| New Brunswick | 5 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
13 |
| Quebec | 51 |
25 |
16 |
51 |
37 |
180 |
| Ontario | 40 |
32 |
14 |
44 |
14 |
144 |
| Manitoba | 14 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
24 |
| Saskatchewan | 4 |
3 |
2 |
24 |
13 |
46 |
| Alberta | 7 |
5 |
5 |
18 |
14 |
49 |
| British Columbia | 37 |
5 |
5 |
15 |
8 |
70 |
| Yukon | 0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
| Nunavut | 0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Canada | 164 |
82 |
50 |
170 |
90 |
556 |
Annex C: Domestic violence shelter capacity by province and territory from 2016 to 2023
From 2022 to 2023, there was a 7.3% increase in the number of domestic violence shelter beds across Canada, with a 1.3% increase in the number of shelters. The largest increase in beds was found in British Columbia (19% increase), and decreases were shown in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Yukon.
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 136 |
146 (+7%) |
176 (+21%) |
176 (0%) |
191 (9%) |
187 (-2%) |
163 (-13%) |
174 (+7%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 45 |
45 (0%) |
45 (0%) |
45 (0%) |
43 (-4%) |
43 (0%) |
30 (-30%) |
18 (-40%) |
| Nova Scotia | 239 |
224 (-6%) |
192 (-14%) |
211 (+10%) |
242 (+15%) |
309 (+28%) |
285 (-8%) |
230 (-19%) |
| New Brunswick | 215 |
230 (+7%) |
298 (+30%) |
303 (+2%) |
303 (0%) |
283 (-7%) |
287 (+1%) |
285 (-1%) |
| Quebec | 1,118 |
1,118 (0%) |
1,360 (+22%) |
1,370 (+1%) |
1,466 (+7%) |
1,776 (+21%) |
1,757 (-1%) |
1,820 (+4%) |
| Ontario | 2,275 |
2,311 (+2%) |
2,466 (+7%) |
2,510 (+2%) |
2,629 (+4%) |
2,896 (+10%) |
2,970 (+3%) |
3,194 (+8%) |
| Manitoba | 387 |
387 (0%) |
364 (-6%) |
385 (+6%) |
414 (+8%) |
353 (-15%) |
366 (+4%) |
366 (0%) |
| Saskatchewan | 301 |
301 (0%) |
283 (-6%) |
238 (-16%) |
277 (+16%) |
322 (+16%) |
338 (+5%) |
415 (+23% |
| Alberta | 924 |
930 (+1%) |
1,223 (+32%) |
1,291 (+6%) |
1,329 (+3%) |
1,297 (-2%) |
1,334 (+3%) |
1,393 (+4%) |
| British Columbia | 994 |
1,004 (+1%) |
953 (-5%) |
1,259 (+32%) |
1,329 (+6%) |
1,601 (+20%) |
1,583 (-1%) |
1,882 (+19%) |
| Yukon | 37 |
37 (0%) |
49 (+32%) |
52 (+6%) |
101 (+94% |
65 (-36%) |
108 (+66%) |
98 (-9%) |
| Northwest Territories | 44 |
44 (0%) |
44 (0%) |
44 (0%) |
44 (0%) |
34 (-23%) |
38 (+12%) |
64 (+68%) |
| Nunavut | 34 |
34 (0%) |
41 (+21%) |
41 (0%) |
41 (0%) |
31 (-24%) |
52 (+68%) |
52 (0%) |
| Canada | 6,749 |
6,811 (+1%) |
7,494 (+10%) |
7,925 (+6%) |
8,409 (+6%) |
9,197 (+9%) |
9,311 (+1%) |
9,991 (+7%) |
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 19 |
19 (0%) |
15 (-21%) |
21 (+40%) |
14 (-33%) |
20 (+43%) |
18 (-10%) |
19 (+6%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 3 |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
3 (0%) |
2 (-33%) |
1 (-50%) |
| Nova Scotia | 17 |
16 (-6%) |
15 (-6%) |
17 (+13%) |
16 (-6%) |
23 (+44%) |
20 (-13%) |
15 (-25%) |
| New Brunswick | 15 |
16 (+7%) |
18 (+13%) |
18 (0%) |
18 (0%) |
20 (+11%) |
19 (-5%) |
20 (+5%) |
| Quebec | 94 |
94 (0%) |
95 (+1%) |
109 (+15%) |
104 (-5%) |
138 (+33%) |
129 (-7%) |
129 (0%) |
| Ontario | 17 |
120 (+606%) |
119 (-1%) |
136 (+14%) |
134 (-1%) |
159 (+19%) |
150 (-6%) |
161 (+7%) |
| Manitoba | 20 |
20 (0%) |
17 (-15%) |
23 (+35%) |
19 (-17%) |
20 (+5%) |
23 (+15%) |
23 (0%) |
| Saskatchewan | 18 |
18 (0%) |
14 (-22%) |
15 (+7%) |
16 (+7%) |
17 (+6%) |
17 (0%) |
23 (+35%) |
| Alberta | 43 |
43 (0%) |
46 (+7%) |
54 (+17%) |
52 (-4%) |
57 (+10%) |
57 (0%) |
54 (-5%) |
| British Columbia | 94 |
96 (+2%) |
93 (-3%) |
132 (+42%) |
109 (-17%) |
141 (+29%) |
155 (+10%) |
152 (-2%) |
| Yukon | 5 |
5 (0%) |
5 (0%) |
6 (+20%) |
8 (+33%) |
6 (-25%) |
6 (0%) |
6 (0%) |
| Northwest Territories | 5 |
5 (0%) |
6 (+20%) |
6 (0%) |
6 (0%) |
5 (-17%) |
5 (0%) |
6 (+20%) |
| Nunavut | 5 |
5 (0%) |
5 (0%) |
5 (0%) |
4 (-20%) |
3 (-25%) |
4 (+33%) |
4 (0%) |
| Canada | 455 |
460 (+1%) |
451 (-2%) |
545 (+21%) |
503 (-8%) |
612 (+22%) |
605 (-1%) |
613 (+1%) |
Annex D: Domestic violence shelter capacity by clientele served, per province and territory in 2023
Historically, most domestic violence shelter beds fall under the family category due to the large majority of services providing flexible accommodations that allow for cribs and places for children. There were 299 family beds added in British Columbia from 2022 to 2023, and 520 added in Ontario. Across Canada, family beds increased by 8% and general beds by 60%. Men’s beds and women’s beds decreased by 37% and 13% respectively, and youth beds remained the same as in 2022.
| Province and Territory | General beds | Men's beds | Women's beds | Youth beds | Family beds | Total beds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
163 |
174 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
18 |
18 |
| Nova Scotia | 0 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
221 |
230 |
| New Brunswick | 0 |
0 |
98 |
0 |
187 |
285 |
| Quebec | 27 |
10 |
75 |
0 |
1,708 |
1,820 |
| Ontario | 66 |
2 |
179 |
24 |
2,923 |
3,194 |
| Manitoba | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
366 |
366 |
| Saskatchewan | 16 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
379 |
415 |
| Alberta | 62 |
0 |
10 |
12 |
1,309 |
1,393 |
| British Columbia | 0 |
0 |
132 |
16 |
1,734 |
1,882 |
| Yukon | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
98 |
98 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
64 |
64 |
| Nunavut | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
52 |
52 |
| Canada | 171 |
12 |
534 |
52 |
9,222 |
9,991 |
| Province and Territory | General shelters | Men's shelters | Women's shelters | Youth shelters | Family shelters | Total shelters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
17 |
19 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Nova Scotia | 0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
14 |
15 |
| New Brunswick | 0 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
13 |
20 |
| Quebec | 2 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
119 |
129 |
| Ontario | 2 |
1 |
11 |
4 |
143 |
161 |
| Manitoba | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
23 |
23 |
| Saskatchewan | 1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
20 |
23 |
| Alberta | 3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
49 |
54 |
| British Columbia | 0 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
144 |
152 |
| Yukon | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
| Nunavut | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
| Canada | 8 |
3 |
37 |
6 |
559 |
613 |
Key findings
- In 2023, there were 20,864 permanent emergency shelter beds across 561 shelters in Canada, representing an increase of 13.0% in beds from 2022 (18,467). The increase in beds exceeds pre-pandemic numbers from 2019, demonstrating a full recovery from the effects of COVID-19 on shelter capacity across Canada.
- In 2023, 10 of the 13 provinces and territories saw an increase in the number of permanent emergency beds, while the number of beds in Manitoba, Yukon, and Nunavut remained the same as in 2022.
- The number of emergency shelter beds per 10,000 people in Canada increased from 4.7 in 2022 to 5.2 in 2023.
- From 2022 to 2023, the number of emergency shelter beds saw an increase of 21% in general beds, 9% in men’s beds, 29% in youth beds, 3% in family beds, and a 6% decrease in women’s beds.
- Most beds and shelters were found in large communities (77.9% of beds), while medium and small communities held 14.7% and 7.4% respectively. Medium and small (rural) communities tend to have numerous smaller shelters, while large communities tend to have shelters with larger capacity.
- The number of total transitional housing beds decreased by 4.4% from 2022, and the number of domestic violence shelter beds increased by 7.3%.
For more information
To find out more about homelessness research, visit the Data analysis, reports and publications page.
If you have any questions about this report, contact us.
Copyright
© 2024 HIS MAJESTY THE KING IN RIGHT OF CANADA as represented by the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
Catalogue No. Em9-3E-PDF 1925-718X
ISSN 1925-718X
References
Statistics Canada. (2024). “Population estimates, quarterly” Q4 2023, 2022, and 2021. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 17-10-0009-01. Ottawa, Ontario. August 15. Retrieved from: Table 17-10-0009-01 Population estimates, quarterly
Statistics Canada. (2024) “Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities)”. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-10-0002-01. Ottawa, Ontario. August 26. Retrieved from: Table 98-10-0002-01 Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities)
Appendix A: Glossary
- Homelessness
- The situation of an individual or family who does not have a permanent address or residence, and does not have the immediate prospect, means, and ability of acquiring it.
- Large communities
- Communities with a population greater than 100,000.
- Medium
communities - Communities with a population between 30,000 and 99,999.
- Small communities
- Communities with a population between 1,000 and 29,999.
- Youth shelters
- Provide services to youth. Some serve all genders, others only serve girls/women or boys/men. Shelters have varying definitions of youth, often ranging from 12 to 29 years of age.
- Women's shelters
- Provide services to adults identifying as women. Some also accept girls.
- Men's shelters
- Provide services to adults identifying as men. Some also accept boys.
- General shelters
- Provide services to adults of all genders. Some also accept youth of all genders.
- Family shelters
- Provide services to families and adults with dependents. Some also accept single adult women without dependents.
- Homelessness
service providers - Service provider organizations that provide services to homeless individuals and families, and persons at risk of homelessness.
- Emergency shelters
- Permanent facilities that provide temporary, short-term accommodation (typically less than 3 months in duration) for homeless individuals and families. There is no cost to service users and no referral or entry application is necessary to access the service. Counselling, treatment and other support services including food and clothing may be available to the people who access the service, but participation is not mandatory. Often, only a place to sleep is provided.
- Transitional Housing
- Permanent facilities that provide temporary, longer-term accommodation for individuals and/or families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Transitional housing is typically an intermediate step between emergency shelter and permanent housing. They differ from emergency shelters by allowing a longer length of stay and greater intensity of support services. For example, programming could focus on developing the necessary skills to be able to live more independently. Stays typically last between 3 months and 3 years.
- Domestic violence shelter
- Permanent facilities that provide temporary accommodation that offer support for individuals and/or families fleeing domestic abuse or the threat of violence, either as a crisis capacity (typically less than three months) or as transitional/second stage housing. Second stage housing refers to facilities that offer longer stays and greater intensity of services, providing an intermediate step before permanent housing. Stays are typically between 3 months and 3 years.
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