Invisible and alone: Young people without a home face increased risks during pandemic

There’s a lot of fear and anxiety around the fate of those living on the Downtown Eastside right now but there’s a whole population of people who are homeless who you might not be thinking of, because they tend to be invisible.

According to A Way Home Canada, which focused on issues of youth homelessness, 20 per cent of Canadians without a home are between the ages of 13 and 25.

“We’re sort of poised to see maybe an increase in those realities for young people who are now at home, isolated at home, in an unsafe environment, or in periods of time or at a period where financial stability isn’t the case in homes,” David French, the group’s director of policy and planning, explains. “Also in a time where people are at risk of leaving their homes, overall, in that family unit.”