There is a lag effect of up to five years from the time of a recession’s onset to its impact on homelessness. People fight to hold onto their homes and the social welfare system—including Employment Insurance and social assistance—help people to stay in their homes. This means it could be years before we see the full impact of rising homelessness in Canada as a result of the COVID-19 recession. It also means that there is time for preventive measures to be implemented and to take effect.
3ci Research Associate, Nick Falvo, has just written a report about the likely long-term impact of the current recession on homelessness: See here