HOMELESSNESS IN THE TERRITORIAL NORTH: STATE AND AVAILABILITY OF THE KNOWLEDGE Report Prepared for the Housing and Homelessness Branch, Human Resources and Social Development Canada Andrew Webster, Consultant 26 October 2006 Homelessness in the Territorial North: State and Availability of the Knowledge Contents Preface ..................................................................................................................... iii Executive Summary .................................................................................................1 Part 1 - Introduction ................................................................................................6 1.0 Objectives.............................................................................................................................6 1.1 Background ..........................................................................................................................6 Part 2 - Methodology................................................................................................9 2.0 Overview ..............................................................................................................................9 2.1 Methodology – Literature Review .......................................................................................9 2.2 Methodology - Key Informant Survey...............................................................................10 2.2.0 Design and Conduct of the Survey.........................................................................10 2.2.1 Format of the Survey..............................................................................................11 Part 3 – Discussion .................................................................................................14 3.0 Homelessness in the Territorial Context ............................................................................14 3.0.1 Overview ................................................................................................................14 3.0.2 Historical Considerations .......................................................................................15 3.0.3 The Jurisdictional Landscape.................................................................................17 3.0.4 Demographic Considerations.................................................................................19 3.0.5 Geographic and Climatic Considerations...............................................................21 3.0.6 Socio-Economic Considerations............................................................................23 3.0.5 Supply and Condition of Housing..........................................................................25 3.0.7 Programmes, Services, and Facilities for Territorial Homeless People.................30 3.1 Survey Results....................................................................................................................35 3.1.0 Assurances of Anonymity ......................................................................................35 3.1.1 Participation ...........................................................................................................35 3.1.2 Responses – Categories of Respondents ................................................................37 3.1.3 Responses - Internet Access...................................................................................38 3.1.4 Responses - Questions to assess the familiarity of informants with documents identified, and survey questions to determine the views of informants on the value or relevance of those documents ................................................................................................38 3.1.5 Responses - Question to determine the sources of information that informants rely upon in the course of their work on homelessness issues ......................................................40 3.1.6 Responses - Question to determine the type and form of information, relating to their work on homelessness issues, that informants would prefer .........................................42 3.1.7 Responses - Question to determine the priorities of informants in the area of homelessness in the Territorial North ....................................................................................45 Further Information Obtained From Interviews.....................................................................47 Part 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations .......................................................56 4.0 General ...............................................................................................................................56 4.1 Conclusions and Recommendations...................................................................................56 Extent of Information on Northern Homelessness.................................................................56 Information Sharing ...............................................................................................................57 Types of Northern Homelessness...........................................................................................60 Extent and Trajectory of Northern Homelessness..................................................................60 Appendix A – Survey Covering Letter.................................................................63 Appendix B - Research Questionnaire .................................................................65 Appendix C - Homelessness in the Territorial Context: Detailed Examination of the Context..........................................................................................................74 Overview ................................................................................................................................74 Historical Considerations .......................................................................................................74 The Jurisdictional Landscape.................................................................................................80 Demographic Considerations .................................................................................................85 Geographic and Climatic Considerations...............................................................................88 Socio-Economic Considerations ............................................................................................93 Supply and Condition of Housing........................................................................................100 Programmes, Services, and Facilities for Territorial Homeless People...............................115 Appendix D – Rankings of Documents...............................................................131 Bibliography..........................................................................................................132 Endnotes ................................................................................................................138 Homelessness in the Territorial North: State and Availability of the Knowledge / A. Webster / MaxSys ii Preface This Report was prepared for the Housing and Homelessness Branch of Human Resources and Social Development Canada. The National Research Program of the National Homelessness Initiative provided MaxSys Consulting with the funding to carry out the Project. The first phase of the Project consisted of structured consultations with Northern stakeholders. The consultation research methodology and related data collection were the responsibilities of Researcher Peter Jackson. Subsequently I was engaged to complete the project. This involved analysing the consultations data, undertaking a review of the literature and the statistical data available, authoring the Report, and finalising the Project. The National Homelessness Initiative’s National Research Program funding carries the expectation that the Report, and the Report’s Highlights summary document, will be available publicly. Accordingly, researchers and others may freely use, quote from, circulate, and make copies of both documents. Stakeholder organisations may post these documents on their websites in order to allow free public downloads. These permissions are conditional upon not altering the documents from their original forms. Please cite the Author and origin when quoting from, or referring to, these two documents. To obtain a copy of the full Report, you may contact Marta Nestaiko, Research Analyst, Housing and Homelessness Branch, at [email protected]. The Highlights document will be posted in both official languages on the Housing and Homelessness Branch website at http://www.homelessness.gc.ca/home/index_e.asp. Except where the views of informants, participants, and others are stated, the views expressed in the Report are my own. The research, conclusions, and recommendations do not necessarily represent the views of Housing and Homelessness Branch. Notwithstanding this, I can confidently state that the various officials and consultants involved in this Project greatly appreciate the assistance of the stakeholder informants. We all hope that this Report will contribute towards further relevant research, improved knowledge sharing, and better allocation of scarce resources in the challenging field of mitigating the problem of homelessness in the Territorial North. Andrew Webster Ottawa 26 October 2006 [email protected] Homelessness in the Territorial North: State and Availability