Rising Homelessness Among Pregnant & Parenting People
- Ottawa—A growing number of pregnant individuals and parents experiencing homelessness in Canada are raising alarms about the health and well-being of their children, according to a commentary published...
- Drs.Nicole Racine and Stéphanie Manoni-Millar, of the University of Ottawa and CHEO Research Institute, argue that the situation constitutes a health crisis demanding immediate action.
- "Housing is a basic life necessity for everyone," Racine and Manoni-Millar wrote.
Homelessness Crisis Grips Pregnant, Parenting Canadians
Updated June 16, 2025
Ottawa—A growing number of pregnant individuals and parents experiencing homelessness in Canada are raising alarms about the health and well-being of their children, according to a commentary published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Drs.Nicole Racine and Stéphanie Manoni-Millar, of the University of Ottawa and CHEO Research Institute, argue that the situation constitutes a health crisis demanding immediate action. They emphasize that stable housing is a basic necessity for all, especially for vulnerable families.
“Housing is a basic life necessity for everyone,” Racine and Manoni-Millar wrote.
The commentary highlights that the increasing number of homeless pregnant and parenting people in canada puts more children at risk of negative health outcomes. The authors stress that access to adequate housing, coupled with supportive health and mental health services, is crucial to mitigating the effects of poverty, family fragmentation, and displacement.
Recent data indicates a 20% surge in homelessness between 2018 and 2022, with families representing 10% of the homeless population.
The authors point out that infants born to homeless parents often face lower birth weights, a higher likelihood of requiring neonatal intensive care, and an increased risk of infections, as well as negative impacts on mental health and cognitive development.
Racine and Manoni-Millar are calling for increased federal and provincial funding to ensure access to safe and affordable housing with integrated support services for families. They also emphasize the need for collaboration between municipal governments, social services, and other providers.
“Reducing service fragmentation by enhancing collaboration and dialog between housing services,mental health and addiction services,and health services optimizes the continuity of service delivery. However, few services or programs currently have the capacity or funding to provide longer-term services to clients,” the authors stated.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain
What’s next
The authors urge policymakers to prioritize funding and collaborative efforts to address the growing crisis of homelessness among pregnant and parenting people, ensuring a healthier future for vulnerable children in Canada.