NewsSeeing the Whole Person: Mental Health and Homelessness in Canada
Every May, Canada marks Mental Health Week, and this year’s theme is Unmasking Mental Health — a call to look beyond the surface and truly see the whole person. At Fred Victor, that’s something we strive to do every day.
This year’s theme speaks directly to our work. People experiencing homelessness often feel the need to hide their struggles — not by choice, but for protection. When someone is staying in a shelter, living in an encampment, or moving through the city without a place to call home, speaking openly about mental health challenges can feel unsafe. Stigma, judgement, and the fear of being ignored or mistreated all contribute to the pressure to stay silent.
Mental Health Challenges in the Context of Homelessness
Mental health issues are both a cause and a result of homelessness. For many people, untreated mental illness leads to housing loss. Once unhoused, these challenges often worsen due to ongoing stress, lack of support, and exposure to unsafe environments.
National data confirms a strong and persistent link between mental health and homelessness in Canada. Between half and two-thirds of people experiencing homelessness live with a mental illness. For those already dealing with serious mental health conditions, the risk of becoming homeless increases — especially when compounded by poverty, addiction, or trauma.
This connection is also visible in the health care system. Psychiatric and substance-related issues remain leading causes of emergency room visits and hospital stays among people without housing. Post-pandemic trends show a rise in homelessness, meaning more people with mental health challenges are now living without stable housing. Homelessness is also affecting a more diverse cross-section of Canadians, including youth, women, and racialized communities — many of whom carry significant trauma and unmet mental health needs. These groups also encounter disproportionate barriers to mental health care and housing due to systemic racism, economic inequality, and intergenerational trauma.
Mental health challenges commonly worsened by homelessness include:
- Depression: Often deeper and longer-lasting for people without stable housing
- Anxiety disorders: Heightened by daily uncertainty around food, shelter, and safety
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Continued trauma while unhoused prevents recovery
- Schizophrenia: Hard to manage without access to medication, treatment, or safe routines
- Bipolar disorder: Untreated episodes can lead to hospitalization or justice system involvement
- Substance use disorders: Frequently used as a coping tool when support systems are unavailable
- Psychosis: Often misunderstood and met with fear or punishment instead of care
- Cognitive impairments: Often undiagnosed, making it difficult to access services or maintain housing
- Suicidal ideation: Driven by hopelessness, trauma, and lack of access to mental health support
- Co-occurring disorders: The combination of mental illness and addiction is especially complex without integrated services and stable housing
Fred Victor’s Approach: Mental Health Is Essential, Not Optional
At Fred Victor, we believe housing is a human right. But housing without mental health supports is often not sustainable. That’s why our supportive housing combines deeply affordable units with on-site services like case management, mental health counselling, and addictions support — helping people stay housed and thrive.
We provide community-based case management, outreach, culturally responsive care, and support in multiple languages. Our staff work directly with people in shelters, hospitals, courts, and on the street — building trust and offering care rooted in dignity and respect.
We also help people in crisis avoid the criminal justice system. Through our Mental Health and Justice programs, we offer short-term support such as help accessing ID, food, shelter, legal aid, and health care. Staff accompany people to court, connect them to harm reduction or withdrawal management services, and develop diversion plans that focus on recovery instead of incarceration.
Our mental health services include:
🔹Community Support Services for adults living with severe mental illness
🔹Outreach and case management for people 55+ in St. James Town and Regent Park
🔹Early intervention for youth experiencing first episodes of psychosis
🔹Culturally focused programs, including the Somali Mental Health Program and Mental Health Crisis Support for Black, African, and Caribbean communities
🔹Short-term crisis support for people experiencing homelessness
🔹Mental Health and Justice services to reduce criminalization and improve access to care
🔹Concurrent Disorders Support Services, a high-support program for people with both substance use issues and other mental health challenges. Fred Victor is the lead agency in this city-wide referral network, helping clients with complex needs fast-track and navigate the system
At every step, we meet people where they are and help them move forward at their own pace.
Where Canada Can Improve
It is increasingly clear that Canada cannot meaningfully address homelessness without simultaneously addressing mental health and addictions. These issues are deeply interconnected. Housing instability can worsen mental health, while untreated mental illness often contributes to housing loss.
While progress is being made, there are key areas where Canada must do more:
◾Expand supportive housing that integrates stable housing with accessible mental health and addiction services
◾Enhance community outreach, including culturally safe and linguistically appropriate programs that meet people where they are
◾Improve prevention strategies, such as discharge planning for individuals leaving hospitals or mental health facilities to ensure they are not released into homelessness
◾Prioritize high-need populations, including Indigenous communities, racialized groups, youth, and people with co-occurring disorders
◾Strengthen data collection and accountability, using national and local data to track outcomes and guide policy decisions
Canada’s response must be coordinated, inclusive, and grounded in the reality that housing is a form of health care. Addressing these challenges together will lead to better outcomes for people and communities across the country.
Unmasking Begins with Seeing the Whole Person
This Mental Health Week, the theme Unmasking Mental Health is a reminder that real change begins when we look beyond labels and circumstances to see the whole person. At Fred Victor, we believe no one should have to hide their struggles in order to feel safe, respected, or worthy of care.
People experiencing homelessness often wear masks to protect themselves from stigma, judgement, and exclusion. When we remove these barriers through compassionate support, accessible mental health care, and stable housing, we create the conditions for healing and hope. Unmasking is not just about revealing hardship — it is about recognizing strength, resilience, and humanity.
To build a more inclusive and connected society, we must continue to speak openly about the links between homelessness and mental health. This means listening, investing in long-term solutions, and standing with people as they rebuild their lives. Everyone deserves to be seen, supported, and valued for who they are.
