Action is needed to enhance Toronto's shelter programs to accommodate the growing number of older adults among the city's homeless population, a new report has argued.
Researchers from Toronto's Wellesley Institute said recent counts showed shelter use among people aged 55 and above has risen four-fold over the last two decades in major Canadian cities, including Toronto.
The report pointed to data from September 2024 that claimed 1,500 adults age 55 or older used Toronto’s shelter system, representing 15 per cent of all shelter users.
The rise is driven by several factors, researchers said, including the affordability crisis and Canada's overall aging population.
Among older people who are unhoused and using the city's shelter system, the report claimed nearly half are chronically without a fixed address, while many older adults are experiencing homelessness for the first time.
"Older adults who become homeless for the first time later in life often do so because of the financial strain from a job loss or retirement, the loss of a partner or declines in their physical health," researchers Rachael Tontodonati and Christine Sheppard wrote in the report.
Earlier this year, the Wellesley Institute said early-life abuse and trauma, poor mental health, substance use challenges and difficulty maintaining employment and relationships can lead to homelessness among older adults in Toronto.
The difficulty is not just in finding housing, as the Wellesley Institute noted older adults experiencing homelessness may have significant health needs that shelters do not have the resources or means to support.
Older adults who are unhoused reportedly experience age-related health conditions like dementia at a much higher rate, the report claimed. An older person using Toronto's shelter system typically presents health issues of a person 10 to 20 years above their true age, researchers claimed. They may have mobility issues, like difficulty bathing and dressing, and experience higher rates of falls, vision impairment and urinary incontinence.
"Shelters should never be long-term housing solutions for older adults, but immediate action is needed to enhance shelter programs so they can provide housing, health and social supports that improve health and health equity for this vulnerable population," the report urged.
Research has begun to identify the needed supports for change. For some older unhoused adults, long-term care is required to meet their needs. For others, researchers recommend community-based housing that offers physical, mental and social health supports.
"Until the provincial government delivers the funding and policy changes needed to provide these permanent housing options to every older adult who needs them, it is critical that shelters be resourced properly to support the well-being of older adults experiencing homelessness," the researchers said.
The Wellesley Institute has launched a research project examining shelter use among older adults in an attempt to shine a light on the population's needs in order to make recommendations for change and government support.
Researchers said the project is timely and will hopefully influence the City of Toronto's seniors strategy, as well a new strategic plan for shelter and support services. As it stands, the city plans to open 20 new shelter sites and enhance existing shelters to respond to the need for more comprehensive services.
"Wellesley’s research can help inform the development of these sites and be part of the solution to this crisis," the researchers said.
