Chapter Overview

We begin this chapter by presenting a composite scenario that reflects real-world experiences of homelessness in Canada, as they pertain to public health studies. As you work through the scenario, you are encouraged to adopt both an empathic perspective, to consider your own response(s) within the scenario, and a critical perspective, to think about how the scenario represents larger issues impacting people in our society.

After pausing to think about a set of reflection questions, we will endeavour to answer each question posed in the learning objectives. Why are people who experience homelessness at higher risk during a pandemic? How is drug use a public health issue? Why is a harm reduction approach necessary? Throughout this chapter, we will examine these three questions, using academic literature, featured articles, lived experience representation, multi-media activities, and virtual guest lectures from some of Canada’s leading homelessness researchers.

At the end of the chapter, we will return to the scenario presented at the beginning and reconsider it in light of what has been learned. Together we will see how a framework of being trauma-informed, person-centred, socially inclusive, and situated within the social determinants of health is critical for understanding homelessness in Canada. These concepts will re-emerge in each chapter throughout this book to demonstrate the complexity and inter-connected nature of these issues.