09/07/2026
When we picture homelessness, we often picture someone sleeping outside or staying in an emergency shelter.
But for many women, homelessness can look very different.
Women experiencing homelessness are more likely to experience forms of homelessness that can remain out of sight. They may stay temporarily with friends or family, move between different places, stay in hotels or motels, or rely on other temporary arrangements because they don't have a permanent place to live.
This is sometimes called hidden homelessness.
Canada's 2024 national Point-in-Time Count and Survey on Homelessness included people experiencing hidden homelessness, such as those staying temporarily with someone else because they had nowhere else to go.
Among those experiencing hidden homelessness, 42% identified as women.
That compares with 31% among people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and 35% among those staying in shelters.
This matters because the most visible forms of homelessness don't tell the whole story.
If someone isn't sleeping outside or accessing an emergency shelter, it doesn't necessarily mean they have stable housing.
Sometimes homelessness is happening on a friend's couch, in a series of temporary arrangements, or somewhere else we don't see.
Understanding women's homelessness means looking beyond what is most visible and recognizing the experiences that can remain hidden.
👉 Learn more about what Canada's latest homelessness data tells us about women's experiences of homelessness: https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/homelessness-sans-abri/reports-rapports/pit-counts-dp-2024-highlights-p2-eng.html
