In response to the rising number of deaths among people experiencing homelessness, the City of Toronto implemented a strategy in 2017 to monitor and document mortality within this population.
While mortality data are routinely collected in several areas, such as road traffic fatalities, deaths among people experiencing homelessness remain underreported and insufficiently documented in Quebec. The absence of a systematic count of homelessness-related deaths provides only a limited understanding of the realities faced by this population. This lack of knowledge and insight into the circumstances surrounding these deaths restricts our ability to develop effective interventions.
With this in mind, Toronto Public Health identified this issue as a priority and developed an integrated mortality surveillance approach encompassing all individuals experiencing homelessness, whether they are staying in shelters, living on the streets, or residing in temporary accommodations. This initiative documents homelessness-related deaths through multiple data sources, including a Homelessness Death Notification Form, data from the emergency shelter system, and information gathered by the Office of the Chief Coroner.
Data on deaths among people experiencing homelessness provide the City of Toronto with a more accurate picture of the challenges faced by this population. The production of reliable statistics helps inform public policy decisions, identify gaps in existing programs and policies, adapt responses to homelessness, and support preventive action.
In Quebec, however, there is currently no official mechanism for monitoring deaths among people experiencing homelessness. This lack of systematic surveillance makes it difficult to implement appropriate measures to improve the living conditions and health outcomes of individuals experiencing homelessness.
The Toronto mortality surveillance initiative has inspired our research project on mortality among people experiencing homelessness in Quebec. This initiative aims to better understand the circumstances and factors associated with these deaths in order to support prevention efforts. Far too often, people experiencing homelessness experience premature mortality compared with the general population.