Exploring the Impact of the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit for Youth Experiencing Homelessness

This research project will analyze the impact of rent subsidies on youth who have experienced homelessness in Toronto. The project focuses on how the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit works and its benefits in providing stable housing for youth. The project will include community-based qualitative research with interviews with young people. Quantitative data will be measured with elements from the Residential Follow-Back Inventory, Perceived Housing Quality and Satisfaction with Housing Scales.

Project scope and expected outcomes

Helping youth overcome homelessness

Homelessness is a significant issue in Canada. In Toronto, youth in the emergency shelter system include many who are newcomers to Canada and who are Black. Youth may face violence and other issues at home, so reuniting them with their families isn’t realistic. Instead, shelters like Covenant House work to help these youth become independent.

Given young people’s developmental stage and difficulties earning a living wage, subsidies have the potential to support independence by increasing housing stability. This can also contribute to overall strategies to address youth homelessness. However, no research has examined if subsidies increase housing stability among youth, if they positively affect other areas of young people’s lives or where gaps remain.

The effect of subsidies

This research project will investigate how rent subsidies affect homelessness, specifically looking at the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit. This Ontario-based subsidy is geared to income and is portable (can be used anywhere across Ontario even after moving). Youth are eligible until they age out at 29.

This project will focus on youth in Toronto who have experienced homelessness and the role of the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit in helping them achieve stable housing.

The project will include qualitative and quantitative research. Researchers will interview about 45 youth, combining this information with quantitative data retrieved using the Residential Follow-Back Inventory. Researchers will also conduct a Scoping Review to synthesize the literature on rent subsidies and host 3 virtual think tanks with experts across Canada.

The project hopes to partner with all 7 youth shelters in Toronto, collectively referred to as the Youth Shelter Interagency Network.

Filling the gap

The key outcome of this project will be to fill the gap in literature on the impact of the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit. The research will result in deeper knowledge of the housing benefit and generate recommendations to inform policy and practices on addressing youth homelessness.

The project will also create partnerships with the municipal government, the Youth Shelter Interagency Network and the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. This will ensure the research is shared with senior decision-makers, increasing the likelihood it will be used. This exploratory study can also help develop the methodology for a future intervention study.