Emergency: 911 Suicide crisis: call or text 988 Find shelter & services: 211 Using alone? Overdose line: 1-888-688-6677
HOMELESSCANADA

Support for specific groups & families

Help for Indigenous people, veterans, youth, 2SLGBTQ+ people, newcomers and people leaving jail, and for families and friends.

Specific supports

Help for specific groups

First Nations, Inuit and Métis people

Indigenous people are greatly overrepresented among people who are homeless in Canada, a direct result of colonization, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop and ongoing discrimination. Indigenous-led services are often the safest and most helpful place to start.

  • Friendship centres are in over 100 cities and towns, offering programs, cultural support, housing help and referrals. Find one through the National Association of Friendship Centres.
  • Hope for Wellness Helpline: 1-855-242-3310 or online chat at hopeforwellness.ca. 24/7 counselling and crisis support in English, French, and on request Cree, Ojibway and Inuktut.
  • Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) covers prescriptions, dental, vision, mental health counselling and medical travel for registered First Nations and recognized Inuit. It's separate from provincial coverage.
  • Indigenous-led shelters, housing providers, healing lodges and land-based treatment programs exist in many regions. Ask your friendship centre or 211.
  • Survivors of residential and day schools and their families can call the Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419.

Veterans

If you served in the Canadian Armed Forces or RCMP, you may qualify for financial help, housing support, health care and mental health services through Veterans Affairs Canada.

  • Veterans Affairs Canada: 1-866-522-2122.
  • VAC Assistance Service (free, 24/7 mental health support for veterans and families): 1-800-268-7708.
  • Veteran-specific charities help homeless veterans with emergency needs, housing and navigating VAC. Ask VAC or 211.

Youth (under 25)

  • Youth shelters and youth drop-ins are separate from adult shelters and generally safer and more supportive. Ask 211.
  • Kids Help Phone: call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868. 24/7, for young people up to their mid-20s.
  • If you left foster care or child welfare, you may be entitled to extended support, money for school, or housing help until your early-to-mid 20s. Ask your former worker or a youth legal clinic.

2SLGBTQ+ people

  • Many cities have 2SLGBTQ+-specific shelters, youth programs and drop-ins. Ask 211.
  • Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366. Peer support run by and for trans people, Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm Pacific. They won't call emergency services without your permission.
  • You have the right to be housed in a shelter based on your gender identity in most Canadian jurisdictions.

People fleeing violence

  • Find a shelter or transition house: sheltersafe.ca or 211. Addresses are confidential.
  • Call 911 if you're in immediate danger.
  • Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833-900-1010.

Newcomers and refugees

Settlement agencies help newcomers with housing, language, health coverage and paperwork, in many languages, for free. Refugee claimants may be covered by the Interim Federal Health Program. 211 can connect you with services in your language.

Leaving jail or prison

The first days after release are extremely high-risk for overdose and homelessness. Before release, ask for a discharge plan, ID, your medications (including OAT), and a referral to a reintegration or housing program. Organizations like the John Howard Society and Elizabeth Fry Society help people leaving custody in many cities. Your tolerance to drugs will be much lower, so use less, don't use alone, carry naloxone.

Family, friends, neighbours

Helping someone you care about

Watching someone you love struggle with addiction, mental illness or homelessness is painful and exhausting. You can't fix it for them, but you can make a real difference.

What helps

  • Stay connected. Keep in touch, even briefly. Isolation makes everything worse. Knowing that someone still cares is often what people in recovery say got them through.
  • Carry naloxone and learn how to use it.
  • Use respectful language. "Person who uses drugs" rather than "addict" or "junkie". Shame keeps people from asking for help.
  • Offer practical help: a phone, a charger, a ride to an appointment, help with forms, a safe mailing address, storing their ID.
  • Learn about harm reduction and treatment so you can support whatever step they're ready for.
  • Take care of yourself too. Al-Anon (al-anon.org) and Nar-Anon run free support groups for families of people with addiction. Many community agencies have family support programs.

What to avoid

  • Ultimatums and "tough love" that put someone on the street. They often increase the risk of overdose and death rather than leading to recovery.
  • Forcing someone to stop drinking or taking benzos suddenly, which can be medically dangerous.
  • Blaming yourself. Addiction and mental illness are nobody's fault.

If you see someone on the street who needs help

  • Say hello and treat them like a neighbour. Being ignored all day wears people down.
  • Ask what they need rather than assuming.
  • If someone is in distress, unresponsive, or in dangerous weather without shelter, call 911. For non-emergencies, call 211 or your city's outreach line.
  • Donate to local drop-ins and shelters. They know exactly what's needed right now (usually socks, underwear, and money).