Shelter Capacity Report 2024
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Copyright
© 2025 HIS MAJESTY THE KING IN RIGHT OF CANADA as represented by the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
Catalogue No. Em9-3E-PDF 1925-718X
ISBN 1925-718X
On this page
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Key findings
- Data source and use
- Scope of the data
- National Overview: Emergency shelter capacity in Canada from 2016 to 2024
- Emergency shelter beds in Canada, by province and territory
- Emergency shelter capacity per 10,000 population from 2021 to 2024
- Emergency shelter capacity by community size, 2024
- Emergency shelter capacity by clientele served in Canada from 2016 to 2024
- Emergency shelter capacity per clientele served, by province and territory in 2024
- Annex A: Transitional housing capacity by province and territory from 2016 to 2024
- Annex B: Transitional housing capacity by clientele served, per province and territory in 2024
- Annex C: Domestic violence shelter capacity by province and territory from 2016 to 2024
- Annex D: Domestic violence shelter capacity by clientele served, per province and territory in 2024
- For more information
- References
- Appendix A: Glossary
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank service providers and communities across Canada, United Way Centraide Canada, and the 2-1-1 service network for their annual and continued collaboration in the development of the National Service Provider List. This support is key to advancing the understanding of homelessness in Canada.
Introduction
The Shelter Capacity Report is an annual descriptive account of capacity statistics for emergency homeless shelters in Canada. This report provides information on the number of emergency shelter facilities and permanent beds by province and territory, clientele served, and trends in shelter capacity from 2016 to 2024. This report also includes a comparison of bed count availability to population estimates and the distribution of shelters and beds by community size. Annual Statistics on transitional housing facilities and domestic violence shelters are in annexes A to D.
In addition to the Shelter Capacity Report, census subdivision-level capacity statistics for emergency shelters, transitional housing, and domestic violence shelters are available on the Statistics Canada website as a customizable table and as a dataset on the Open Government website. These provide detailed and accessible sources of information regarding the shelter landscape at various geographical levels, over a larger reference period (2016 to 2024).
Key findings
- In 2024, there were 22,379 permanent emergency shelter beds across 587 shelters in Canada, representing an increase of 7.3% in beds from 2023 (20,864). The increase in beds exceeds pre-pandemic numbers from 2019, demonstrating a full recovery from the effects of COVID-19 on shelter capacity across Canada.
- In 2024, 7 of the 13 provinces and territories saw an increase in the number of permanent emergency beds, while Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and Northwest Territories all saw decreases of 15% or more.
- The number of emergency shelter beds per 10,000 people in Canada increased from 5.2 in 2023 to 5.4 in 2024.
- From 2023 to 2024, the number of emergency shelter beds saw increases of 16% in general beds, 30% in women’s beds, and decreases of 1% in men’s beds, 8% in youth beds, and 6% in family beds.
- Most beds and shelters were found in large communities (75.1% of beds), while medium and small communities held 16.8% and 8.1% respectively. Medium and small (rural) communities tend to have numerous smaller shelters, while large communities tend to have shelters with larger capacity.
- The number of total transitional housing beds decreased by 1% from 2023, and the number of domestic violence shelter beds increased by 4%.
Data source and use
Shelter capacity statistics are derived from the annual National Service Provider List, a comprehensive dataset of permanent homelessness shelter services in Canada. The list includes information on bed capacity, location, and the clientele served by these shelters. The 2024 list of emergency and transitional servicesFootnote1, including program names and addresses, is available on the Open Government website.
Maintained and regularly updated by the Homelessness and Supportive Housing Policy Directorate of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC), the National Service Provider List is a cornerstone in understanding and addressing homelessness. The annual updates are made possible through collaborative efforts, relying on data contributions from service providers, communities, and various partners. This multifaceted information is gathered through a combination of primary and secondary research methods, as well as through collaborative data-sharing initiatives with jurisdictions utilizing the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) or comparable administrative systems for tracking homelessness data. The data from The National Service Provider List is not only used for reporting changes in national capacity but also for estimations of shelter useFootnote2 and chronic homelessnessFootnote3. Complete shelter capacity data from the National Service Provider List is available starting from 2016.
Scope of the data
The 2024 emergency shelter capacity data reflects the capacity as of December 2024. It includes shelters that meet the following criteria:
- Operational year-round, providing emergency beds at no cost to the client
- Open as of year end (December 31, 2024)
Transitional housing facilities and domestic violence shelters included in this report must also be operational year-round and open as of December 31, 2024. They are generally offered at no cost to the client, but are still included if the cost is not tied to a lease contract.
The report also includes statistics from 2016 to 2024 to examine trends over time in the shelter system.
Some shelter services are not included in the analysis, as they may not be operational year-round, may have incomplete data, or may not directly target the homeless population. They include:
- Temporary emergency shelters, including emergency weather response shelters and hotel spaces/vouchers provided as shelter
- Supportive housing facilities
- Immigrant and refugee shelters
- Correctional services
Housing, Communities and Infrastructure Canada (HICC) classification of shelters
Shelters providing services under the same umbrella organization but to different target populations and/or genders, even if located at the same address, are listed as separate shelters. In addition, shelters that provide different services at the same location, such as offering both emergency services and transitional beds, are listed as separate services in the National Service Provider List due to the nature of the service.
Data limitations
New data come from newly operational services but also existing services that are new to the National Service Provider List. When updating the capacity information of emergency, transitional, and domestic violence shelters, HICC considers services for inclusion only if they are part of the homelessness serving sector, and fall under the scope outlined above. Changes in the number of shelters and beds are the results of a variety of changes in the shelter system within a year, including the opening and closure of shelters, changes or updates in the shelter type of service, and the separation or collapsing of capacity information based on the level of detail that service providers are able to offer.
National Overview: Emergency shelter capacity in Canada from 2016 to 2024
In 2024, there were 22,379 beds across 587 permanent emergency shelters across Canada. This represents a 7.3% increase from 20,864 emergency beds in 2023, and a 4.6% increase in the number of shelters.
National shelter capacity in permanent emergency shelters remained at stabilized numbers from 2016 to February 2020 (Figure 1). Shelter capacity changes from 2020 to 2022 stemmed in large part from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, where total capacity decreased to 11,214 by August 2020 and by December 2021, total capacity had not seen a full recovery to pre-pandemic numbers.
From December 2021 to December 2022, the rise in the number of emergency beds was 21.6% (+3,282), and from 2022 to December 2023 it was 13.0% (+2,397). The increase in the number of beds from 2023 to 2024 of 7.3% (+1,515) represents a trend of year-to-year increases happening at a decreasing rate, suggesting stabilization. Nevertheless, the total number of beds and shelters by end of 2024 demonstrate an increase in the demand for shelter that had not been seen prior to COVID-19.
Figure 1: Number of emergency beds and shelters in Canada, 2016 to 2024
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Figure 1 - Text version
Figure 1. Number of emergency beds and shelters in Canada, 2016 to 2024 Year Number of permanent beds Number of emergency shelters 2016 15,409 401 2017 15,623 411 2018 15,859 392 2019 16,271 423 2020 16,009 418 2021 15,185 437 2022 18,467 518 2023 20,864 561 2024 22,379 587
Emergency shelters and beds in Canada by province and territory
Notable increases in emergency beds were seen in Alberta (795 beds, +28% ), New Brunswick (159 beds, +52%), Ontario (460 beds, +5%) and British Columbia (698 beds, +17%). In Alberta, the number of emergency beds in Edmonton increased by 137% (680 beds), along with 91 beds added in Lethbridge. Increases in Edmonton corresponded to the addition of beds in services serving families and serving adult men.
In British Columbia, notable increases were seen in the number of beds in Abbotsford (+71), Chilliwack (+74), Cranbrook (+53), Port Alberni (+43), Surrey (+83), and Vancouver (+167). The number of beds in Saint John, New Brunswick increased to 207 from 46 in 2023. In Ontario, there were increases in the number of beds in Burlington (+67), Kitchener (+114), Sarnia (+68), as well as decreases in Mississauga (-184) and in Ottawa (-218). Notably, Montreal, Quebec saw a decrease of 338 emergency beds from 2023.
Figure 2: Number of emergency shelter beds by province and territory in 2024 and percentage changes from 2023
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Figure 2 - Text version
Figure 2: Number of emergency shelter beds by province and territory in 2024 and percentage changes from 2023 Province and Territory Beds in 2023 Beds in 2024 Percentage change Newfoundland and Labrador 215 224 4% Prince Edward Island 85 88 4% Nova Scotia 698 568 -19% New Brunswick 307 466 52% Quebec 2735 2,420 -12% Ontario 8539 8,999 5% Manitoba 608 555 -9% Saskatchewan 608 517 -15% Alberta 2878 3,673 28% British Columbia 3991 4,689 17% Yukon 40 41 3% Northwest Territories 67 51 -24% Nunavut 93 88 -5%
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
2024 (% change from 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 53 | 61 (+15%) | 67 (+10%) | 146 (+118%) | 125 (-14%) | 118 (-6%) | 158 (+34%) | 215 (+36%) | 224 (+4%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 7 | 7 (0%) | 7 (0%) | 7 (0%) | 18 (+157%) | 26 (+44%) | 24 (-8%) | 85 (+254%) | 88 (+4%) |
| Nova Scotia | 208 | 217 (+4%) | 220 (+1%) | 225 (+2%) | 243 (+8%) | 230 (-5%) | 295 (+28%) | 698 (+137%) | 568 (-19%) |
| New Brunswick | 150 | 148 (-1%) | 157 (+6%) | 180 (+15%) | 253 (+41%) | 323 (+28%) | 254 (-21%) | 307 (+21%) | 466 (+52%) |
| Quebec | 1,948 | 1,934 (-1%) | 1,757 (-9%) | 1,901 (+8%) | 1,658 (-13%) | 2,009 (+21%) | 2,608 (+30%) | 2,735 (+5%) | 2,420 (-12%) |
| Ontario | 6,622 | 6,764 (+2%) | 6,898 (+2%) | 7,175 (+4%) | 7,351 (+2%) | 6,793 (-8%) | 7,767 (+14%) | 8,539 (+10%) | 8,999 (+5%) |
| Manitoba | 661 | 661 (0%) | 650 (-2%) | 403 (-38%) | 436 (+8%) | 484 (+11%) | 608 (+26%) | 608 (0%) | 555 (-9%) |
| Saskatchewan | 439 | 443 (+1%) | 476 (+7%) | 483 (+1%) | 407 (-16%) | 329 (-19%) | 501 (+52%) | 608 (+21%) | 517 (-15%) |
| Alberta | 3,182 | 3,182 (0%) | 3,304 (+4%) | 3,258 (-1%) | 2,784 (-15%) | 2,254 (-19%) | 2,758 (+22%) | 2,878 (+4%) | 3,673 (+28%) |
| British Columbia | 2,019 | 2,069 (+2%) | 2,170 (+5%) | 2,336 (+8%) | 2,534 (+8%) | 2,456 (-3%) | 3,296 (+34%) | 3,991 (+21%) | 4,689 (+17%) |
| Yukon | 27 | 27 (0%) | 27 (0%) | 39 (+44%) | 59 (+51%) | 39 (-34%) | 40 (+3%) | 40 (0%) | 41 (+3%) |
| Northwest Territories | 100 | 76 (-24%) | 82 (+8%) | 82 (0%) | 88 (+7%) | 65 (-26%) | 65 (0%) | 67 (+3%) | 51 (-24%) |
| Nunavut | 34 | 34 (0%) | 44 (+29%) | 36 (-18%) | 53 (+47%) | 59 (+11%) | 93 (+58%) | 93 (0%) | 88 (-5%) |
| Canada | 15,409 | 15,623 (+1%) | 15,859 (+2%) | 16,271 (+3%) | 16,009 (-2%) | 15,185 (-5%) | 18,467 (+22%) | 20,864 (+13%) | 22,379 (+7%) |
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
2024 (% change from 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 5 | 6 (+20%) | 7 (+17%) | 14 (+100%) | 14 (0%) | 14 (0%) | 17 (+21%) | 17 (0%) | 17 (0%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 1 | 1 (0%) | 1 (0%) | 1 (0%) | 2 (+100%) | 3 (+50%) | 3 (0%) | 6 (+100%) | 6 (0%) |
| Nova Scotia | 8 | 9 (+13%) | 9 (0%) | 11 (+22%) | 11 (0%) | 11 (0%) | 14 (+27%) | 15 (+7%) | 15 (0%) |
| New Brunswick | 9 | 9 (0%) | 9 (0%) | 8 (-11%) | 8 (0%) | 9 (13%) | 11 (+22%) | 12 (+9%) | 14 (+17%) |
| Quebec | 74 | 75 (+1%) | 65 (-13%) | 76 (+17%) | 74 (-3%) | 92 (24%) | 112 (+22%) | 119 (+6%) | 116 (-3%) |
| Ontario | 147 | 149 (+1%) | 149 (0%) | 159 (+7%) | 160 (+1%) | 157 (-2%) | 173 (+10%) | 174 (+1%) | 189 (+9%) |
| Manitoba | 15 | 15 (0%) | 13 (-13%) | 12 (-8%) | 16 (+33%) | 19 (+19%) | 15 (-21%) | 15 (0%) | 14 (-7%) |
| Saskatchewan | 21 | 21 (0%) | 18 (-14%) | 17 (-6%) | 15 (-12%) | 16 (+7%) | 25 (+56%) | 29 (+16%) | 18 (-38%) |
| Alberta | 36 | 36 (0%) | 35 (-3%) | 38 (+9%) | 30 (-21%) | 26 (-13%) | 33 (+27%) | 34 (+3%) | 40 (+18%) |
| British Columbia | 76 | 77 (+1%) | 78 (+1%) | 79 (+1%) | 79 (0%) | 81 (+3%) | 103 (+27%) | 128 (+24%) | 146 (+14%) |
| Yukon | 3 | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) |
| Northwest Territories | 4 | 3 (-25%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) |
| Nunavut | 2 | 2 (0%) | 2 (0%) | 2 (0%) | 3 (+50%) | 3 (0%) | 6 (+100%) | 6 (0%) | 6 (0%) |
| Canada | 401 | 411 (+2%) | 392 (-5%) | 423 (+8%) | 418 (-1%) | 437 (+5%) | 518 (+19%) | 561 (8%) | 587 (+5%) |
Emergency shelter capacity per 10,000 population from 2022 to 2024
Per capita rates of bed capacity serve as an indicator of availability of shelter, but also relative demand. This rate can change year to year based on fluctuations in total population and in bed numbers. Figure 3 displays the number of emergency shelter beds per 10,000 population (as measured by using Q4 population estimates for a specific year) by province and territory.
The number of emergency shelter beds per 10,000 people in Canada by end of 2024 was 5.4 – an increase of 3.8% from 2023. Quarterly estimates indicate a 2.4% increase in total population from Q4 2023 to Q4 2024 across Canada. Along with a 7% increase in the number of total beds, this signifies a trend of increased demand at the national level each year.
Despite an overall increase in per capita rates, provincial and territorial rates highlight the differences of bed availability compared to their population. Seven provinces and territories saw a decrease in the per capita rate. Provinces with high population, such as Ontario, hold per capita rates of similar to that of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, despite having over 12 times their population. This indicates significant efforts in regions of large populations to accommodate shelter spaces. A similar comparison can be drawn between British Columbia and Yukon.
Figure 3: Number of emergency shelter beds per 10,000 population by province and territory from 2022 to 2024
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Figure 3 - Text version
Figure 3: Number of emergency shelter beds per 10,000 population by province and territory from 2022 to 2024 Province and territory 2022 (with population estimates Q4 2022) 2023 (with population estimates Q4 2023) 2024 (with population estimates Q4 2024) Newfoundland and Labrador 3.0 4.0 4.1 Prince Edward Island 1.4 4.8 4.9 Nova Scotia 2.8 6.5 5.3 New Brunswick 3.1 3.6 5.4 Quebec 3.0 3.1 2.7 Ontario 5.1 5.4 5.6 Manitoba 4.3 4.1 3.7 Saskatchewan 4.2 5.0 4.1 Alberta 6.0 6.1 7.4 British Columbia 6.1 7.2 8.2 Yukon 9.1 8.9 8.7 Northwest Territories 14.6 15.0 11.3 Nunavut 23.0 22.8 21.3 Canada 4.7 5.2 5.4
Emergency shelter capacity by community size, 2024
Of all communities that have at least one permanent emergency shelter, 23% were large (100,000+ population), 29% were medium (30,000 – 99,000 population), and 48% were small (1,000 – 29,000 population). Out of all emergency shelter beds across Canada, 75.5% were held in large communities, 16.8% in medium communities, and 8.15% in small communities. The comparison between the distribution of beds between each community type and the distribution of shelters indicates that larger urban centres tend to have larger facilities and more of them.
Figure 4: Distribution of emergency shelters and permanent beds by community size in 2024
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Figure 4 - Text version
Figure 4: Distribution of emergency shelters and permanent beds by community size in 2024 Distribution of emergency shelters and beds by community size, 2023 Percentage of all beds Percentage of all shelters Large communities 75.1% 57.1% Medium communities 16.8% 24.0% Small communities 8.1% 18.9%
Medium communities had the largest percentage increase of beds from 2023 compared to other communities, and also had the largest number of beds added (701) from 2023. The distribution of beds among community types remained stable between 2023 and 2024 (considering an overall increase), displaying a widespread rise in the demand of beds regardless of the size of the community.
Figure 5: Number of emergency beds by community size, and increase from 2023 to 2024
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Figure 5 - Text version
Figure 5: Number of emergency beds by community size, and increase from 2023 to 2024 Number of beds by community size 2023 2024 percentage change Large Communities 16258 16807 3.4% Medium Communities 3059 3760 22.9% Small Communities 1537 1812 17.9%
Emergency shelter capacity by clientele served in Canada from 2016 to 2024
Emergency beds across Canada are categorized into categories based on clientele they serve. These include general adult (all genders), adult men only, adult women only, families, or youth.
- In 2024, beds serving the general adult population accounted for 47% of all beds – an increase from 43% in 2023. General adult beds saw an increase of 16% (1,458 beds), continuing a trend of being the clientele type with the largest increase in number of beds each year.
- Beds serving only adult men accounted for 23%, and those serving only adult women corresponded to 9% of all emergency beds. While total beds serving adult men saw a slight decrease (-1%) from 2023, those serving adult women increased by 30% (468 beds).
- Beds serving youth clients made up 7% of all beds in 2024, in line with a year-to-year trend of stable low demand for beds for this clientele group compared to others. The number of beds serving only families decreased from 2023 by 6%, remaining at stable levels since 2022.
Figure 6: Number of emergency shelter beds in Canada per clientele served, 2016 to 2024
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Figure 6 - Text version
Figure 6: Number of emergency shelter beds in Canada per clientele served, 2016 to 2024 Clientele served 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 General 5,535 5,653 5,959 6,062 6,559 6,013 7,438 9,025 10,483 Men 4,527 4,664 4,820 5,023 4,367 3,955 4,628 5,063 5,016 Women 2,091 2,083 2,029 1,976 2,015 1,607 1,687 1,582 2,050 Youth 1,536 1,535 1,442 1,472 1,451 1,091 1,275 1,641 1,504 Families 1,720 1,688 1,609 1,738 1,617 2,519 3,439 3,553 3,326
In 2024, there were also 1,911 beds across 35 services in Canada identified as immigrant/refugee shelters, which are in a separate category from emergency, transitional, or domestic violence shelters. The nature of these services varied from short-term temporary shelters, to transitional housing to accommodate families for a longer period of time. The clientele types served by these services included the general adult population, families, and adult women.
Emergency shelter capacity per clientele served, by province and territory in 2024
The total number of beds and shelters in Canada by clientele served is broken down by province and territory. The province of Nova Scotia saw a decrease of 19% in the number of general adult beds, while New Brunswick added 192 beds serving families. Quebec saw a decrease in all categories of clientele served, except family beds, with the largest being in those serving general adults (166 beds).
In Ontario, the largest increase in number of beds was in the general adult category, with an addition of 1,133 beds. Manitoba had no beds only for adult men or adult women, but increased the total number of general adult beds by 47. Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia all saw increases in the number of beds serving general adults. Notably, British Columbia saw an increase of 200 women’s beds from 2023, Alberta’s total adult men’s beds increased by 190, and Nunavut added 17 beds for general adults.
Year-to-year changes by province and territory reflect the addition or closure of services, but also recategorization of services based on how they identify their clientele.
| Province and Territory | Family beds | General beds | Men’s beds | Women’s beds | Youth beds | Total beds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0 | 195 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 224 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 | 60 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 88 |
| Nova Scotia | 0 | 453 | 70 | 17 | 28 | 568 |
| New Brunswick | 198 | 147 | 71 | 45 | 5 | 466 |
| Quebec | 314 | 866 | 706 | 247 | 287 | 2,420 |
| Ontario | 1,579 | 3,071 | 2,589 | 988 | 772 | 8,999 |
| Manitoba | 60 | 467 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 555 |
| Saskatchewan | 59 | 199 | 145 | 82 | 32 | 517 |
| Alberta | 904 | 1,815 | 625 | 248 | 81 | 3,673 |
| British Columbia | 200 | 3,168 | 708 | 397 | 216 | 4,689 |
| Yukon | 0 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 41 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 | 0 | 31 | 12 | 8 | 51 |
| Nunavut | 12 | 17 | 52 | 0 | 7 | 88 |
| Total | 3,326 | 10,483 | 5,016 | 2,050 | 1,504 | 22,379 |
| Province and Territory | Family shelters | General shelters | Men’s shelters | Women’s shelters | Youth shelters | Total shelters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 17 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Nova Scotia | 0 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| New Brunswick | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 14 |
| Quebec | 21 | 42 | 14 | 12 | 27 | 116 |
| Ontario | 24 | 62 | 44 | 26 | 33 | 189 |
| Manitoba | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 |
| Saskatchewan | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 18 |
| Alberta | 13 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 40 |
| British Columbia | 9 | 87 | 15 | 14 | 21 | 146 |
| Yukon | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| Nunavut | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Total | 77 | 245 | 92 | 67 | 106 | 587 |
Annex A: Transitional housing capacity by province and territory from 2016 to 2024
There was a slight decrease of 1% in the number of transitional housing beds from 2023 to 2024 across Canada, along with a 5% decrease in the number of facilities. The largest decreases in number of beds were found in Quebec (345 beds) and Alberta (225 beds). Ontario and Manitoba saw large increases, adding 365 and 196 beds respectively.
In the transitional housing space, total number of beds change most significantly due to opening and closures of services, rather than small numbers of beds added to established facilities throughout a year; oftentimes, transitional housing is offered at established residences with a set number of rooms, rather than facilities with more flexible space to add beds based on demand.
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
2024 (% change from 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 113 | 113 (0%) | 102 (-10%) | 102 (0%) | 32 (-69%) | 32 (0%) | 72 (+125%) | 58 (-19%) | 43 (-26%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 (-56%) | 48 (+1100%) | 51 (+6%) |
| Nova Scotia | 76 | 66 (-13%) | 119 (+80%) | 128 (+8%) | 125 (-2%) | 148 (+18%) | 286 (+93%) | 212 (-26%) | 197 (-7%) |
| New Brunswick | 20 | 24 (+20%) | 14 (-42%) | 37 (+164%) | 48 (+30%) | 66 (+38%) | 128 (+94%) | 99 (-23%) | 97 (-2%) |
| Quebec | 1,783 | 1,783 (0%) | 2,522 (+41%) | 2,428 (-4%) | 2,358 (-3%) | 2,796 (+19%) | 3,841 (+37%) | 3,521 (-8%) | 3,176 (-10%) |
| Ontario | 2,098 | 2,189 (+4%) | 2,188 (0%) | 2,134 (-2%) | 2,128 (0%) | 2,764 (+30%) | 3,642 (+32%) | 3,216 (-12%) | 3,581 (+11%) |
| Manitoba | 286 | 286 (0%) | 229 (-20%) | 349 (+52%) | 441 (+26%) | 297 (-33%) | 504 (+70%) | 504 (0%) | 700 (+39%) |
| Saskatchewan | 396 | 392 (-1%) | 328 (-16%) | 309 (-6%) | 235 (-24%) | 244 (+4%) | 789 (+223%) | 544 (-31%) | 430 (-21%) |
| Alberta | 1,213 | 1,203 (-1%) | 1,177 (-2%) | 1,135 (-4%) | 1,108 (-2%) | 711 (-36%) | 887 (+25%) | 1,484 (-100%) | 1,259 (-15%) |
| British Columbia | 804 | 854 (+6%) | 901 (6%) | 972 (+8%) | 1,179 (+21%) | 1,017 (-14%) | 1,695 | 1,635 (-4%) | 1,622 (-1%) |
| Yukon | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 (0%) | 4 (+100%) | 0 | 1 | 6 (+500%) | 81 (+1,250%) |
| Northwest Territories | 37 | 76 (+105%) | 63 (-17%) | 98 (56%) | 97 (-1%) | 66 (-32%) | 60 (-9%) | 56 (-7%) | 36 (-36%) |
| Nunavut | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 26 (0%) | 30 (+15%) |
| Canada | 6,816 | 6,986 (+2%) | 7,645 (+9%) | 7,694 (+1%) | 7,773 (+1%) | 8,150 (+5%) | 11,935 (+46%) | 11,409 (-4%) | 11,303 (-1%) |
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
2024 (% change from 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 7 | 7 (0%) | 4 (-43%) | 4 (0%) | 4 (0%) | 4 (0%) | 8 (+100%) | 6 (-25%) | 6 (0%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0%) | 4 (+300%) | 4 (0%) |
| Nova Scotia | 6 | 6 (0%) | 8 (+33%) | 10 (+25%) | 10 (0%) | 12 (+20%) | 22 (+83%) | 15 (-32%) | 15 (0%) |
| New Brunswick | 2 | 3 (+50%) | 2 (-33%) | 4 (+100%) | 7 (+75%) | 13 (+86%) | 14 (+8%) | 13 (-7%) | 10 (-23%) |
| Quebec | 95 | 95 (0%) | 114 (+20%) | 114 (0%) | 116 (+2%) | 153 (+32%) | 198 (+29%) | 180 (-9%) | 177 (-2%) |
| Ontario | 79 | 75 (-5%) | 104 (+39%) | 106 (+2%) | 116 (+9%) | 149 (+28%) | 171 (+15%) | 144 (-16%) | 141 (-2%) |
| Manitoba | 14 | 14 (0%) | 10 (-29%) | 10 (0%) | 11 (+10%) | 16 (+45%) | 24 (+50%) | 24 (0%) | 31 (+29%) |
| Saskatchewan | 26 | 28 (+8%) | 22 (-21%) | 23 (+5%) | 20 (-13%) | 22 (+10%) | 49 (+123%) | 46 (-6%) | 26 (-43%) |
| Alberta | 31 | 31 (0%) | 37 (+19%) | 36 (-3%) | 38 (+6%) | 35 (-8%) | 39 (+11%) | 49 (+26%) | 39 (-20%) |
| British Columbia | 31 | 34 (+10%) | 33 (-3%) | 33 (0%) | 41 (+24%) | 43 (+5%) | 71 (+65%) | 70 (-1%) | 71(+1%) |
| Yukon | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0%) | 2 (+100%) | 0 (-100%) | 1 | 1 (0%) | 5 (+400%) |
| Northwest Territories | 2 | 2 (0%) | 3 (+50%) | 5 (+67%) | 5 (0%) | 4 (-20%) | 3 (-25%) | 3 (0%) | 1 (-67%) |
| Nunavut | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0%) | 1 (0%) |
| Canada | 286 | 295 (+3%) | 338 (+15%) | 346 (+2%) | 370 (+7%) | 452 (+22%) | 602 (+33%) | 556 (-8%) | 527 (-5%) |
Annex B: Transitional housing capacity by clientele served, per province and territory in 2024
Of all transitional housing beds across Canada in 2024, 34% of beds served the general adult population – a slight decrease from 38% in 2023. Beds serving adult men corresponded to 19%, while women’s beds made up 10%, youth beds 17%, and family beds 20%. An increase in the number of beds was only seen in those serving women (+19%) and those serving families (+29%).
| Province and Territory | General beds | Men's beds | Women's beds | Youth beds | Family beds | Total beds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 3 | 12 | 0 | 19 | 9 | 43 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 | 24 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 51 |
| Nova Scotia | 56 | 0 | 61 | 80 | 0 | 197 |
| New Brunswick | 27 | 31 | 12 | 27 | 0 | 97 |
| Quebec | 792 | 805 | 279 | 687 | 613 | 3,176 |
| Ontario | 1,030 | 680 | 326 | 659 | 886 | 3,581 |
| Manitoba | 591 | 38 | 9 | 28 | 34 | 700 |
| Saskatchewan | 60 | 68 | 98 | 91 | 113 | 430 |
| Alberta | 144 | 360 | 193 | 223 | 339 | 1259 |
| British Columbia | 1093 | 75 | 103 | 153 | 198 | 1,622 |
| Yukon | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 | 30 | 51 | 9 | 21 | 111 |
| Nunavut | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Canada | 3,796 | 2,159 | 1159 | 1,976 | 2,213 | 11,303 |
| Province and Territory | General shelters | Men's shelters | Women's shelters | Youth shelters | Family shelters | Total shelters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Nova Scotia | 4 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 15 |
| New Brunswick | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| Quebec | 44 | 26 | 17 | 55 | 35 | 177 |
| Ontario | 35 | 25 | 17 | 50 | 14 | 141 |
| Manitoba | 22 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 31 |
| Saskatchewan | 2 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 26 |
| Alberta | 7 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 7 | 39 |
| British Columbia | 37 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 12 | 71 |
| Yukon | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Nunavut | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Canada | 155 | 74 | 59 | 162 | 77 | 527 |
Annex C: Domestic violence shelter capacity by province and territory from 2016 to 2024
Domestic violence beds across Canada are updated annually for shelter capacity data. Totals include beds of shelters serving clients in emergency situations, as well as those providing second-stage housing for those fleeing domestic violence. From 2023 to 2024, there was an increase of 4% in the number of beds, and a slight 1% increase in the number of shelters. Similarly to transitional housing spaces, domestic violence shelters often serve clients in facilities with established units or rooms. Total number of beds has seen a steady increase since 2016, even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating no fall in the demand of these services.
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
2024 (% change from 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 136 | 146 (+7%) | 176 (+21%) | 176 (0%) | 191 (9%) | 187 (-2%) | 163 (-13%) | 174 (+7%) | 179 (+3%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 45 | 45 (0%) | 45 (0%) | 45 (0%) | 43 (-4%) | 43 (0%) | 30 (-30%) | 18 (-40%) | 45 (+150%) |
| Nova Scotia | 239 | 224 (-6%) | 192 (-14%) | 211 (+10%) | 242 (+15%) | 309 (+28%) | 285 (-8%) | 230 (-19%) | 232 (+1%) |
| New Brunswick | 215 | 230 (+7%) | 298 (+30%) | 303 (+2%) | 303 (0%) | 283 (-7%) | 287 (+1%) | 285 (-1%) | 268 (-6%) |
| Quebec | 1,118 | 1,118 (0%) | 1,360 (+22%) | 1,370 (+1%) | 1,466 (+7%) | 1,776 (+21%) | 1,757 (-1%) | 1,820 (+4%) | 1,841 (+1%) |
| Ontario | 2,275 | 2,311 (+2%) | 2,466 (+7%) | 2,510 (+2%) | 2,629 (+4%) | 2,896 (+10%) | 2,970 (+3%) | 3,194 (+8%) | 3,167 (-1%) |
| Manitoba | 387 | 387 (0%) | 364 (-6%) | 385 (+6%) | 414 (+8%) | 353 (-15%) | 366 (+4%) | 366 (0%) | 404 (+10%) |
| Saskatchewan | 301 | 301 (0%) | 283 (-6%) | 238 (-16%) | 277 (+16%) | 322 (+16%) | 338 (+5%) | 415 (+23%) | 548 (+32%) |
| Alberta | 924 | 930 (+1%) | 1,223 (+32%) | 1,291 (+6%) | 1,329 (+3%) | 1,297 (-2%) | 1,334 (+3%) | 1,393 (+4%) | 1,336 (-4%) |
| British Columbia | 994 | 1,004 (+1%) | 953 (-5%) | 1,259 (+32%) | 1,329 (+6%) | 1,601 (+20%) | 1,583 (-1%) | 1,882 (+19%) | 2,194 (+17%) |
| Yukon | 37 | 37 (0%) | 49 (+32%) | 52 (+6%) | 101 (+94% | 65 (-36%) | 108 (+66%) | 98 (-9%) | 98 (0%) |
| Northwest Territories | 44 | 44 (0%) | 44 (0%) | 44 (0%) | 44 (0%) | 34 (-23%) | 38 (+12%) | 64 (+68%) | 62 (-3%) |
| Nunavut | 34 | 34 (0%) | 41 (+21%) | 41 (0%) | 41 (0%) | 31 (-24%) | 52 (+68%) | 52 (0%) | 57 (+10%) |
| Canada | 6,749 | 6,811 (+1%) | 7,494 (+10%) | 7,925 (+6%) | 8,409 (+6%) | 9,197 (+9%) | 9,311 (+1%) | 9,991 (+7%) | 10,431 (+4%) |
| Province and Territory | 2016 | 2017 (% change from 2016) |
2018 (% change from 2017) |
2019 (% change from 2018) |
2020 (% change from 2019) |
2021 (% change from 2020) |
2022 (% change from 2021) |
2023 (% change from 2022) |
2024 (% change from 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 19 | 19 (0%) | 15 (-21%) | 21 (+40%) | 14 (-33%) | 20 (+43%) | 18 (-10%) | 19 (+6%) | 19 (0%) |
| Prince Edward Island | 3 | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 3 (0%) | 2 (-33%) | 1 (-50%) | 3 (+200%) |
| Nova Scotia | 17 | 16 (-6%) | 15 (-6%) | 17 (+13%) | 16 (-6%) | 23 (+44%) | 20 (-13%) | 15 (-25%) | 15 (0%) |
| New Brunswick | 15 | 16 (+7%) | 18 (+13%) | 18 (0%) | 18 (0%) | 20 (+11%) | 19 (-5%) | 20 (+5%) | 21 (+5%) |
| Quebec | 94 | 94 (0%) | 95 (+1%) | 109 (+15%) | 104 (-5%) | 138 (+33%) | 129 (-7%) | 129 (0%) | 128 (-1%) |
| Ontario | 117 | 120 (+3%) | 119 (-1%) | 136 (+14%) | 134 (-1%) | 159 (+19%) | 150 (-6%) | 161 (+7%) | 162 (+1%) |
| Manitoba | 20 | 20 (0%) | 17 (-15%) | 23 (+35%) | 19 (-17%) | 20 (+5%) | 23 (+15%) | 23 (0%) | 9% |
| Saskatchewan | 18 | 18 (0%) | 14 (-22%) | 15 (+7%) | 16 (+7%) | 17 (+6%) | 17 (0%) | 23 (+35%) | 22% |
| Alberta | 43 | 43 (0%) | 46 (+7%) | 54 (+17%) | 52 (-4%) | 57 (+10%) | 57 (0%) | 54 (-5%) | 2% |
| British Columbia | 94 | 96 (+2%) | 93 (-3%) | 132 (+42%) | 109 (-17%) | 141 (+29%) | 155 (+10%) | 152 (-2%) | -2% |
| Yukon | 5 | 5 (0%) | 5 (0%) | 6 (+20%) | 8 (+33%) | 6 (-25%) | 6 (0%) | 6 (0%) | 0% |
| Northwest Territories | 5 | 5 (0%) | 6 (+20%) | 6 (0%) | 6 (0%) | 5 (-17%) | 5 (0%) | 6 (+20%) | 0% |
| Nunavut | 5 | 5 (0%) | 5 (0%) | 5 (0%) | 4 (-20%) | 3 (-25%) | 4 (+33%) | 4 (0%) | 25% |
| Canada | 455 | 460 (+1%) | 451 (-2%) | 545 (+21%) | 503 (-8%) | 612 (+22%) | 605 (-1%) | 613 (+1%) | 1% |
Annex D: Domestic violence shelter capacity by clientele served, per province and territory in 2024
Each year, most domestic violence shelter beds indicate serving families, largely due to the majority of services providing flexible accommodations that allow for cribs and spaces for children (91% in 2024). Across Canada, the number of family beds increased by 3% (307 beds) and general beds by 81% (139 beds). While there was an increase in beds serving adult men of 5, they represent only 0.2% of all beds. Those serving women only increased by 1 bed,, while those serving youth decreased by 12.
| Province and Territory | General beds | Men's beds | Women's beds | Youth beds | Family beds | Total beds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 179 | 179 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 45 |
| Nova Scotia | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 223 | 232 |
| New Brunswick | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 268 | 268 |
| Quebec | 27 | 4 | 82 | 0 | 1728 | 1,841 |
| Ontario | 81 | 6 | 73 | 24 | 2,983 | 3,167 |
| Manitoba | 84 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 297 | 404 |
| Saskatchewan | 16 | 0 | 42 | 16 | 474 | 548 |
| Alberta | 102 | 0 | 112 | 0 | 1,122 | 1,336 |
| British Columbia | 0 | 0 | 156 | 0 | 2,038 | 2,194 |
| Yukon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 98 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 62 |
| Nunavut | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 57 |
| Canada | 310 | 17 | 535 | 40 | 9,529 | 10,431 |
| Province and Territory | General shelters | Men's shelters | Women's shelters | Youth shelters | Family shelters | Total shelters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 19 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Nova Scotia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 15 |
| New Brunswick | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 21 |
| Quebec | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 119 | 128 |
| Ontario | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 148 | 162 |
| Manitoba | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 25 |
| Saskatchewan | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 28 |
| Alberta | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 55 |
| British Columbia | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 140 | 149 |
| Yukon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Nunavut | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Canada | 16 | 3 | 31 | 6 | 566 | 622 |
For more information
To find out more about homelessness research, visit the Data analysis, reports and publications page.
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References
Statistics Canada. (2025). “Population estimates, quarterly” Q4 2024, 2023, and 2022. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 17-10-0009-01. Ottawa, Ontario. August 15. Retrieved from: Table 17-10-0009-01 Population estimates, quarterly
Statistics Canada. (2025) “Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities)”. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-10-0002-01. Ottawa, Ontario. August 26. Retrieved from: Table 98-10-0002-01 Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities)
Appendix A: Glossary
- Homelessness
- The situation of an individual or family who does not have a permanent address or residence, and does not have the immediate prospect, means, and ability of acquiring it.
- Large communities
- Communities with a population greater than 100,000.
- Medium
communities - Communities with a population between 30,000 and 99,999.
- Small communities
- Communities with a population between 1,000 and 29,999.
- Youth shelters
- Provide services to youth. Some serve all genders, others only serve girls/women or boys/men. Shelters have varying definitions of youth, often ranging from 12 to 29 years of age.
- Women's shelters
- Provide services to adults identifying as women. Some also accept girls.
- Men's shelters
- Provide services to adults identifying as men. Some also accept boys.
- General shelters
- Provide services to adults of all genders. Some also accept youth of all genders.
- Family shelters
- Provide services to families and adults with dependents. Some also accept single adult women without dependents.
- Homelessness
service providers - Service provider organizations that provide services to homeless individuals and families, and persons at risk of homelessness.
- Emergency shelters
- Permanent facilities that provide temporary, short-term accommodation (typically less than 3 months in duration) for homeless individuals and families. There is no cost to service users and no referral or entry application is necessary to access the service. Counselling, treatment and other support services including food and clothing may be available to the people who access the service, but participation is not mandatory. Often, only a place to sleep is provided.
- Transitional Housing
- Permanent facilities that provide temporary, longer-term accommodation for individuals and/or families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Transitional housing is typically an intermediate step between emergency shelter and permanent housing. They differ from emergency shelters by allowing a longer length of stay and greater intensity of support services. For example, programming could focus on developing the necessary skills to be able to live more independently. Stays typically last between 3 months and 3 years.
- Domestic violence shelter
- Permanent facilities that provide temporary accommodation that offer support for individuals and/or families fleeing domestic abuse or the threat of violence, either as a crisis capacity (typically less than three months) or as transitional/second stage housing. Second stage housing refers to facilities that offer longer stays and greater intensity of services, providing an intermediate step before permanent housing. Stays are typically between 3 months and 3 years.
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