“In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental illness or addiction problem.”

https://www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/the-crisis-is-real/mental-health-statistics

So many individuals in our country find it difficult to get themselves out of their beds each morning. I’m not talking about that “I should get up now that I’ve clicked snooze 5 times” kind of difficulty getting up. I’m talking about the difficulty of getting up because you’re overwhelmed with sadness and simply have no energy. This is a common symptom experienced by those dealing with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

MDD is one of the numerous mental health conditions Canadians are facing today. It is highly likely that you have a family member or friend who is dealing with mental illness, or perhaps you yourself are battling a mental health condition today.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created constrictions in all our lives making it a difficult time for all. However for those dealing with mental illness, this has been a seriously frightening, additional stressor.

Those who have been receiving mental health treatments or psychotherapies are finding themselves in a situation where they are unable to visit their therapist, and properly follow the plans due to the social distancing orders to remain indoors. Though efforts are being made deliver therapy through online means, motivation to follow plans can quickly diminish in such circumstances, giving way to potential relapses. Read more about how social distancing can have serious implications for people with depression here. It is crucial that the health professionals stay in close contact with their clients virtually to ensure they are not finding themselves in a dangerous situation, as feeling isolated or being alone can have serious consequences for those with serious mental illnesses such as those dealing with alcohol addiction, or MDD.

A 2004 study done during the SARS epidemic looked into the mental health consequences of quarantining in Toronto. Many displayed symptoms of depression and PTSD. It was found that longer periods of quarantine was linked to increased symptoms of PTSD, demonstrating the dangers of long-term isolation.

This study highlights the importance of emotional and social support for everyone during this quarantine. We are social beings. We need social interaction to lead lives. When that has been taken away even mentally healthy individuals can find themselves feeling very anxious during this pandemic. Further, due to the uncertainty that we face we are all in a state of confusion. We are unsure about the virus itself and its effects, our routine is flipped upside down, children are no longer in schools, and many are facing financial difficulties. Many have lost jobs, meaning they are unable to afford rent payments, pay their debt, etc. This creates intense stress and mental strain.

We must all make sure we are staying connected to people virtually every day during this quarantine, as well as checking in on those around us frequently. Mark Henick, a mental health advocate cold the CTV News that this pandemic may be followed by an additional mental health pandemic of depression, anxiety, and possibly suicide. Due to the stigma around mental health that unfortunately still exists, we overlook the importance of taking care of it. Depression, anxiety, and suicide as Mark Henick says, are unfortunately quite plausible and realistic outcomes of this pandemic.

Roger McIntyre, a University of Toronto professor of Psychiatry & Pharmacology in a CTV News interview stressed the importance of engaging in intellectually stimulating activities to “exercise your mental muscles”. It is easy for one day to blend into the next and soon a week, a month can fly by. It is important to create structure in what feels like a blur of time. Though it is difficult, maintaining a routine is what will get us through this pandemic as it is quite unclear how long this is going to wake. Make sure that every single day you are connected with people whether it’s simply having a conversation with your family or calling a friend. It is so easy to be in touch through social media, and this is the time to take advantage of these technologies.

Though it is important to have the most accurate news and information on the virus, it is equally as important to not bombard yourself with pandemic news. It can quickly become overwhelming, especially for those with weaker media literacy, as everything can sound scarier and induce more anxiety.

Here are some sources with more information on what you can do for yourself and to support your family and friends:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/smarter-living/coronavirus-anxiety-tips.html
• https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-health-and-covid-19
• https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Publications/FactSheets/PW_Psychological_Impacts_COVID-19.pdf

COVID-19 is not only a physically threatening pandemic. It can be mentally and psychologically harmful if proper measures and practices to maintain good mental health are not followed. There are both people with existing mental health issues that are struggling during this time that we must collectively acknowledge and support, and those (which may include you yourself) who are experiencing symptoms of unbalanced mental health.

Make sure you are aware of how you are feeling, accept that it is normal to feel anxious and try to focus on the things that indeed are in your control such as what you can now do with the knowledge you’ve gained from this blog post. If more serious prolonged symptoms arise, reach out to a registered psychologist.

Please stay safe!

Sources:

• https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/social-distancing-could-have-devastating-effect-people-depression-n1157871
• https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/is-an-echo-pandemic-of-mental-illness-coming-after-covid-19-1.4878433
• https://www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/the-crisis-is-real/mental-health-statistics
• https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/morning-depression
• https://cpa.ca/public/whatisapsychologist/PTassociations/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3323345/https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Publications/FactSheets/PW_Psychological_Impacts_COVID-19.pdf
• https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/smarter-living/coronavirus-anxiety-tips.html
• https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1934415&jwsource=em

Click to access PW_Psychological_Impacts_COVID-19.pdf

Hi Brooklyn,

Thank you for the informative post! I had never known the history of women’s shelters in Canada so it was really cool to see how everything started and also very shocking to learn how recent these changes and implementations were. It is truly heartbreaking to think of all the women who had been suffering domestic abuse with no where to turn as their agency was limited by the inadequate system.

I like that you included Jan’s story. It was very evocative and attention-grabbing. It is truly unfortunate that many women had to deal with similar situations. I think it is very important to bring stories like hers to light to show people the extent and intensity of this issue. I think if you were to start your blog post with that anecdote it would be even more effective in being that human story that pulls readers in right away. 🙂

I also really like that you spoke about where we are lacking today. Like you said, though we have made great strides, we still face the problem with inadequate funding, or not enough space in women’s shelters. I think there needs to be more awareness raised on the issue of domestic abuse. With increased awareness I think there will be increased demand for immediate action from various levels of government, as currently it seems that most of the responsibility in running and funding shelter systems is given to charities and/or philanthropists. Like you mentioned, there is a demand for long-term housing. I think that unless the government decides to take the recommendations of the House of Commons seriously, there will only be short-term solutions to this issue.

Unfortunately, it seems that the issue of domestic violence often goes unattended or unnoticed because the society we live in is still dominated by patriarchal ideas, making it more difficult to have a woman’s voice heard compared to a mans. I recently read the book Evicted by Matthew Desmond for a class reading and it touched on the issue of domestic violence. It explained how it is close to impossible for some women in poverty who are experiencing domestic violence to escape their situation because they do not want to lose a place to live. I think it is crucial to realize that many women are unable to report the abuse they experience and so there needs to be increased access for these women. Hopefully, like you said, there will continue to be efforts being made by many in this uphill battle.

It was a pleasure reading your post and getting to learn a little more about Canada’s history.

Here is the link to Brooklyn’s Blog Post:

Long Blog Post #2- The Issue With no Name

They aren’t washing their hands right now.

They aren’t social distancing.

They aren’t inside homes.

no, I’m not talking about the spring breakers in Miami Florida.

I’m talking about our homeless population.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, thousands of Toronto’s homeless individuals have lost their support structures. Many shelters, food banks, drop-in sites have closed. Those that are open, in order to maintain social distancing, can only let in so many individuals.

These individuals have no choice but to ignore the “wash your hands frequently for 20 seconds” message as the restaurants or coffee shops they habitually went to for bathroom use have now closed.

Under risks of COVID-19 on the Government of Canada website reads:

The homeless population is high risk of COVID-19. 29% of our homeless population is 51 or older (City of Toronto), and many homeless individuals have underlying medical conditions and compromised immune systems.

Climatic conditions, psychological strain and exposure to communicable disease create and lead to a range of chronic and acute health problems, including injury from cold, tuberculosis, skin diseases, cardio-respiratory disease, nutritional deficiencies, sleep deprivation, musculoskeletal pain and dental trouble. 

https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/topics/health

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty held a news conference in front of the community centre on Shuter Street on March 23rd speaking about these issues. Greg Cook, an outreach worker spoke at this conference asking “This community centre here sits empty. Why? At any time everyone, everyone should have at least a room. Especially now with COVID-19.” (05:15-05:26) He urged John Tory to act immediately, to open up the empty hotel rooms, dorm rooms, kitchens that could feed thousands, the community centres, to allow homeless individuals eat food to service, and to stay inside so they can at least have the chance to follow the necessary measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

These people are being neglected during times of crisis. Family physician Rikita Goel explained she is terrified for her patients. Many of her homeless patients, those in poverty, those dealing with mental illness have told her they feel that society doesn’t feel care about them (07:42-08:00). We have neglected those who need the most help. The people who are at highest risk are receiving the least amount of care and if they experience symptoms, they are unable to self-isolate. She also stated that “the people who have been forgotten by our society now matter because their health affects our health”(09:42-09:49)

This is result of having not effectively dealt with the problem of homelessness. This outbreak is illuminating the structural failings that have been a long.

However right now is not a time to be caught up in what could have been done earlier, but it is a time for all three levels of government to act rapidly.

Good news is that the City has been working over the past week to come up with solutions. So far systems have been implemented in the shelters that are open, to maintain social distancing instructions are being given to volunteers and workers on how to serve food and work in the kitchen. Further, the city has been able to open up 9 facilities in the past week for homeless individuals to stay. Click here for more information on measures being taken.

What’s it like inside those facilities? Is it safe? Is social distance being maintained? We can only hope so.

9 facilities. Still not enough to house the over 9,200 homeless people in toronto.

Though efforts are being made we must continue to urge the three levels of government to do more. We need to drastically increase the support. There are thousands of people needing a place to stay, food to eat, and water to both drink and wash their hands with.

Otherwise, we are creating a “virus death trap” as Gaetan Heroux with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty says.

Works Cited:

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/prevention-risks.html#r

https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/topics/health

Facts about Homelessness in Toronto

https://globalnews.ca/news/6734648/toronto-homeless-covid-19-coronavirus-support/

The Tell is a creative event space for artists, musicians, story tellers, and organizations, to use for hosting events. Events can be art exhibitions, workshops, performances, film-screenings, and more. The Tell hosts it’s own events as well. Some groups that have hosted events at The Tell are Jake’s House and Choir!Choir!Choir!.

The Tell is a community-focused organization that encourages and celebrates storytelling. I believe this is important for the city because in such a large city, it can sometimes be difficult to feel like a part of a community, and The Tell is the perfect space to experience community and meet others that have similar interests. This is a place that is dedicated solely to the people of Toronto and their stories which helps create a collective cultural identity, ultimately building a stronger community.

This is definitely a place I’d visit, and will be on the look out for any cool events happening. You can check out any upcoming events happening at this link.

Friday the 13th. UofT students get an email that reads:

“Starting on Monday, March 16 and continuing until April 3, all in-person undergraduate and research-stream Masters and Doctoral courses across U of T’s three campuses are cancelled.”

Contrary to the state of the world, I have been seeing many UofT students responding to the cancellation of classes in a quite excited if not happy manner. No more commuting for many students, more time to sleep, less stress, and some post-poned or cancelled tests.

It’s almost as if we’ve received a few free days of March break that elementary schools kids are starting.

Having brunch with my friend on Friday reading that email, we were very surprised. Things just didn’t feel real, and it was just odd that no one really knew what was going to happen.

A few hours after we parted I received a text from her:

This morning I went to say my final goodbye to her as I would not get to see her for the next 6 months. I was not expecting to see all the cars lined up outside of her residence building. I saw people loading boxes and furniture, a large sign from the planet march, friends saying goodbye, and many faces filled with mixed emotions.

The school year has abruptly come to an “end”.

My email inbox has been overflowing with emails from CEOs of various companies and organizations, and professors explaining the current situation and what is going to change/occur from this point on.

An email from Second Cup explained that they will no longer be accepting cash, and there will be no longer be a self-serve station for coffee modifications, and instead the barista will add the cream to your coffee. To minimize human contact and most likely also to keep the company afloat, they are offering a 20% discount on mobile orders.

In terms of UofT, classes are being moved online, office hours for some courses are going to be through email, and tests are going to be on Quercus.

All of this is making me realize how crucial the internet is to our society right now and students in particular. We being social beings, the internet offers us connection, and thus the internet is quite literally our life line right now.

The online world, although is flooding with COVID-19 headlines as new cases are being found rapidly, may actually be the only social institution that is not negatively influenced by this global epidemic.

Scrolling through Instagram, seeing posts on Facebook, and watching videos on YouTube over the last few days I’ve noticed in general, people are still posting funny memes, photos with friends, photos of food they are enjoying, vlogs, etc. Yes, there have been much more awareness and content relating to COVID-19 being uploaded but it hasn’t become dominated solely with that. Regular social media functions have continued and I think this stability reminds us that life continues, and that we as a society cannot just sit and stop everything here because that will have serious long term consequences. I think it reminds us that we still can stay connected as we need to, we still can share our stories and create things, and try to find joy and humour in spite of this saddening, confusing time.

All this is not to say we should be ignoring the heartbreaking events and losses we are experiencing around the world. We absolutely need to realize what the situation of our world is, and like I’ve mentioned the internet is the source for that information.

I believe this connectivity we have is something we should be grateful for.

For students the internet is particularly vital at this time, as schooling is all being moved online. We will need to be carefully reading our emails, and posts on Quercus for the next few weeks to successfully complete our school year and receive the credits that we have been working over the last couple months for.

This does raise concerns such as not everyone having access to great internet connection at their homes, or not every student being comfortable with online learning. Hopefully the connectivity with one another we have online will make this whole process easier as this is the only way we can help one another without having to be in physical contact.

I’ve already had friends tell me their parents won’t let them leave the house, and some who themselves are not wanting to risk going outside. Others are indifferent about what is happening and seem fine going about their lives as usual. However regardless of being confined inside a home or not, it is clear that we will be heavily relying on the internet.

If you’re a fellow student you’re probably also experiencing a weird mix of emotions too. Unsure whether to be happy classes are cancelled or not, whether it’s okay to treat the next few days like a break, whether you should leave residence or walk outside…

We’re all on the same boat right now and maybe the only thing we can do is try our best to support people around us, take care of ourselves, and perhaps place a mobile order from Second Cup.

You’re a shy, insecure teenage girl and you’ve been having difficulties making friends at school. You start working at a restaurant where you befriend a co-worker who invites you to her birthday party. You’re extremely excited because a) You’ve made a new friend and b) This girl is a really cool girl from Toronto. she tells you that everything all costs will be covered and that she’ll come pick you up this Saturday evening .

She comes as promised and you you spend a fun night partying at a club in Toronto. 

The next morning you get back into her car expecting she’ll drive you back home to Hamilton, but when she parks the car you find yourself in an unfamiliar parking lot somewhere still in Toronto. She turns to you and says, “You owe me $600.” You’re confused. She continues, “You owe me for the rental car, the gas, the club entry, and the drinks last night.” You don’t know what to say.

She tosses you a bag and inside you see a bikini and heels. “Go dance.” she demands.  You look out your window and realize she has brought you to a strip club. She tells you that there are two men inside waiting for you to ensure that you make her that $600 and if you don’t follow these orders, she says she’ll kill your family. Your heart sinks. 

She had no choice but to go dance. she was horrified and humiliated, but she stayed until she had made $600. After she handed her co-worker who was waiting in the car, she thought this was all done and that she could return home. Instead she was taken back to the girl’s place where she was met with her pimps. She was driven from strip clubs to strip club all around the GTA to make money for them and raped multiple times by different pimps for the next couple years of her life.

Markie Dell is a human trafficking survivor and her story sheds light on the horrors of human trafficking and how impossible it can be to escape it once you get caught. 

The remainder of the story on how she escaped and recovered from human trafficking can be found in this TED talk.

I got to hear Markie Dell’s story in person at a Love146 conference at UofT where she came to share her story and advocate for her methods of finding inner peace after trauma. She was radiant and loving. Full of life.  

Unfortunately, Markie Dell’s case of wonderful recovery is not a common one. Her horrible experiences of Human Trafficking is the story of too many girls in Toronto today.

Girls ages 14 to 22 are trafficked all around Canada with 93% victims being from Canada not other countries as many misconceive (Canadian Women, 2014). They are trafficked in the hotels you’ve been to, private residence buildings you’ve walked by, movie theatres you watched a movie at: all around Toronto and the GTA.

Below is a table of the recorded cases of human trafficking in Toronto retrieved from the City of Toronto’s website. Keep in mind that similar to how less than 10% of sexual assault cases are reported to the police, most human trafficking cases rarely get to the point where law enforcement is involved and thus recorded. 

Classification	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	Total
Charges Laid	365	463	529	373	410	2,140
Occurrences	149	170	236	253	284	1,092
Arrests	59	61	77	52	46	295
Victims	33	30	67	60	60	250
Convictions	11	11	8	14	12	56

The issue of human trafficking started to gain attention in Canada around 2005. The RCMP conducted Canada’s very first Threat Assessment concerning human trafficking to find out the depth and extent of this issue in 2007. The official report was released in 2013 and it provided the information that was needed for government to create the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. The government of Canada began investing over $6M annually after the release of this report to combat this issue. Some examples of areas this funding went towards include funding a Dedicated Enforcement Team specifically to tackle this issue, awareness and research regarding public safety, and enhanced victim services.

The findings from the RCMP’s Domestic Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation in Canada Report showed that Traffickers pose as friends or as romantic partners to psychologically manipulate individuals and later hold them through further manipulation, physical and sexual violence, as well as threats. It also reported that although victims usually meet their traffickers directly through people they know or simply being approached, there is a portion of people that become victims to human trafficking through social media such as Instagram or Facebook.

Toronto as a city has also made great strides towards tackling this issue since the release of the RCMP assessment. The Toronto Police created Toroto’s Human Trafficking Enforcement Team to fight human trafficking in 2013 with investigation, arrest and prosecution of traffickers on their agenda.

These new implementations lead to Toronto’s first human trafficking conviction in 2014 when Tyrone Burton was found guilty for prostitution charges. This was the case that shed light on how difficult the process of arresting human traffickers is. Detective Peter Brady who is a member of Toronto’s Human Trafficking Enforcement Team shared to the Toronto Star during this case that human trafficking cases are very difficult to navigate and prove because the traffickers are “really good at what they do. They prey on vulnerable girls, girls that come from bad backgrounds, low self-esteem, and then they befriend them, promise them condos, money, clothes, [and] protection.” 

As Detective Brady explained, often victims feel a sense of protection. In many cases hey are unaware that what they are experiencing is human trafficking. Kaitlin Bick, a human trafficking survivor that was trafficked in the GTA shared that she simply thought she had a “crappy boyfriend”. Read more about her story here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/canadas-first-human-trafficking-hotline-1.5365185

This is why awareness and education is crucial. 

Fortunately, the growing prevalence of human trafficking was followed by a much necessary increase in aid and advocacy from non-governmental organizations such as Covenant House Toronto, and Aura Freedom both of which the City of Toronto helps fund. 

Further, the Waterloo Region District School Board has added sex trafficking education to the curriculum to educate students about this issue to both help them stay safe and identify signs of risk around them. This is something I believe is necessary for all school boards and would like to see in Toronto education material. Click this link to find out more about how the WRDSB is spreading awareness about human trafficking to students.

Perhaps you’re thinking “but what can I do? I’m just one individual, how am I supposed to help deal with this overwhelming problem?”

Talk to those around you about this issue – perhaps mentioning this blog post can be a start. You’re adding to the education part of the solution.

Post or repost human trafficking awareness posts on social media – again you are a part of the solution simply by helping raise awareness.

Most importantly, check up on the people around you. Ask your friends how they’re doing. Maybe go sit with the person you see in the dining hall every day. And don’t forget to take care of yourself as well. Remember to stay cautious because the frightening truth is that anyone can be affected by human trafficking. 

Detective Davies, member of Durham Regional Police’s human trafficking unit when asked whether they were making a difference by carrying out police raids to save the women being trafficked replied “It’s like taking a spoon full of water out of Lake Ontario. One bit at a time, but we’re trying our best and that is all that we can do.”

Human Trafficking is an issue greater than we may conceive, but if we as citizens do our part in staying informed and helping spread awareness then I believe you and I can make a difference.

First of all, great post! You covered a heavy topic but made it digestible for the reader, making the point clear and not overwhelming. One thing you did that definitely helped with that was how you provided a definition of human trafficking near the start of the post. I also really liked how you put in a quote from the Toronto Sun. I think it helped deliver the gravity of this issue without you having to explain all the different details and possible scenarios/events young girls are enduring. The one you provided was very evocative, which pulled me in even more. I think to make your post even better, a suggestion I would have is to open the post with a part of that quotation you put in, such as “[She was] forced to have sex with as many men as her boyfriend could solicit“, because I think it would really catch the readers attention when they glance at your blog.

It’s really mind boggling, how this issue is so prevalent and as you mentioned is becoming more and more serious and widespread. The point you made about the importance of awareness is something I couldn’t agree with more. I really didn’t know much about human trafficking until maybe the end of grade 12. Which is a problem. I think we need to learn about this issue in school. We need to teach younger teens about the risks, the signs to spot a trafficker, signs to spot if someone they know may be at risk for traffcking/getting trafficked etc. On a more hopeful note, I recently attended a conference where I learned that Waterloo has actually already adopted an anti- human trafficking curriculum. Here’s a link about it if u want to learn more 🙂 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/wrdsb-human-trafficking-school-1.5368008. Hopefully other districts will see the importance of awareness for the issue of human trafficking. Thanks for the great post!

Andrea’s Blog can be found here: https://andreakuntjorojustcityblog.art.blog/2020/02/09/long-blog-1-insert-title-here/

When I first saw the book in the library my first thought was to compare the level of effort and work that was put into tackling the problem of affordable housing then and now. I think photo you took captures that because we see a sketched out drawing of the birds eye view of the area signalling detailed care. I think you touched on a point that I did not necessarily think about at first which was that affordable housing is a problem that has had a long history and still continues to exist today. It really is crazy that this has been a problem for over 100 years and it doesn’t seem like we are getting any closer to finding a real solution.

This Blog can be found here: https://rahulonthejustcity.wordpress.com/2020/02/09/short-blog-3/

This is a writing piece found in “Voice of the Poor” that looks at the use of mental health as a means of social control by the government. It reminds us to remain critical about the government’s workings, and examine the underlying reasons behind the things that occur in everyday life.

In the past few years mental health has grown as an area of significance, with a focus on self-care, removing stigma, and sharing personal experiences. As much as these things are truly important for our society to speak about and reflect upon, we must remember to research and tackle the roots of these problems. We must hold our governments accountable for acting upon these issues.

“The government’s program of mental health is really a program to keep the people from seeing and examine the real causes of this alienating existence.”

Voice of the Poor, page 6

“The thousandth name was added to this list recently” he said, as our professor directed our focus to the Homeless Memorial.

I felt all tangled up inside trying to process that number.

One thousand lives. One thousand deaths. One thousand preventable deaths.

By preventable I mean: she didn’t have to be beat, he didn’t have to be shot, they could have healed from their mental health issue, he didn’t have to freeze on the streets, and she didn’t have to jump in front of the TTC.

 The list includes men and women who died in emergency shelters, or on the street, or from any of the many dangers tied to a lack of stable housing and poverty, including violence, addiction, suicide, untreated mental and physical health issues, exposure and neglect.

Mathieu, Emily. “The Toronto Homeless Memorial Now Lists More than 1,000 Lives Lost. These Are the Names We Know.” Thestar.com, 14 Jan. 2020, http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/01/14/1000-names-are-now-listed-on-the-toronto-homeless-memorial.html.

The Star reported that the names on the homeless memorial list are obtained either from word of mouth or from city documents. The names on the list begin in the 1980s, however it was not until 2012 that the city officially began counting the homeless deaths. This all goes to show us that the true count of homeless deaths is likely well over 1000.

Looking across the street, I saw the tall, bright, Eaton Centre, full of life, standing over the small memorial box, that held names of the dead, the paper laid out like an accordian to fit in the box.

In the distance of a few strides, I saw two different worlds. One of the which often avoids the other. One of which may not truly know the harsh reality of the other.

The chance of living a normal life span is reduced by 40% for homeless people (Webster, 2017). There is not one clear cut cause of homeless death. Instead, there are multiple, interwoven, causes that all stem from the risks that come with inadequate living conditions and poverty. Many homeless people face unsafe conditions that lead them to get murdered and assaulted. Indigenous people in particular are at a higher risk of this violence (Webster, 2017). Many homeless people die from overdose, and many also die from suicide.

From 1998 to 2012, homeless and precariously housed people’s suicides accounted for 9% of all the suicides in Toronto (Sinyor, 2017). Although each case of suicide is idiosyncratic, we see common factors among the suicides from this study, such as the lack of homeless social services, housing difficulties, mental disabilities, and health problems. Lack of social connectivity is another contributing factor which can be deduced from the observation that most homeless individuals do not leave a suicide note (Sinyor, 2017). As saddening as it is, the city becomes a means to end their lives as many homeless individuals will choose the method of jumping off of a bridge, building or in front of the subway.

Just from looking at homeless suicides, which is only one type of homeless deaths, a plethora of contributing factors that in and of themselves are extremely large issues are uncovered. Clearly, there needs to be more specific prevention strategies aimed at helping different homeless people. In order for there to be prevention, there needs to be the demand for action from the public. And for there to be this demand, we need an increased awareness of homeless deaths.

Let’s keep the conversation alive about these preventable deaths.