Abstract
We combined administrative data on shelter stays from Calgary (2008–2014) and Toronto (2011–2015) with census metropolitan area population estimates publicly available from Statistics Canada to compute incidence of shelter use per 1000 person-years in these two cities. We found that Calgary faces a higher overall risk of shelter use than Toronto (3.58 versus 1.18 per 1000 person-years), and that risk of shelter use for those aged 16–20 is nine times higher in Calgary than in Toronto. Calgary’s employment rate is correlated with the incidence of homelessness (r = 0.88) but not Toronto’s (r = − 0.28). Individual-level characteristics associated with shelter use could not explain the yearly fluctuations in risk of homelessness in Calgary, but macroeconomic indicators are correlated with them.
Résumé
Les données administratives des villes de Calgary (2008-2014) et de Toronto (2011-2015) ont été combinées avec des estimations démographiques de la région de recensement accessibles via Statistique Canada, afin de calculer l’incidence par 1000 personnes-année des séjours en refuge pour personnes itinérantes. Le risque de fréquenter un refuge à Calgary s’avère plus élevé qu’à Toronto (3,58 contre 1,18 par 1000 années-personnes), et neuf fois plus élevé chez les 16-20 ans. Le taux d'emploi est corrélé à l'incidence de la fréquentation des refuges à Calgary (r = 0,88), mais non à Toronto (r = -0,28). Les indicateurs macroéconomiques plutôt que les caractéristiques individuelles associées à la fréquentation des refuges expliquent les fluctuations annuelles du risque à Calgary.
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Dutton, D.J., Jadidzadeh, A. The Incidence of Homelessness in Canada is a Population-Level Phenomenon: a Comparison of Toronto and Calgary Shelter Use over Time. Can. Stud. Popul. 46, 161–171 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42650-019-00013-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42650-019-00013-8