A first-of-its-kind study led by the Lawson Health Research Institute is being funded by the Canadian government with $1.2 million from the Veterans Homelessness Program to better understand homelessness among Canadian female war veterans.

This is an important yet often invisible issue. This is the first Canadian study to focus exclusively on women veterans’ experiences of homelessness. Gender matters, particularly when it comes to women veterans who are homeless. If they have experienced sexual trauma or abuse, or have children and the only available veterans’ housing is a men’s group home, that’s going to be a problem.”

Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Deputy Scientific Director at Lawson at the Parkwood Institute of St. Joseph’s Health Care London and study leader

Dr. Forchuk and her team have begun traveling to cities and towns across Canada to conduct interviews with female veterans who are homeless or were formerly homeless. They will collect data such as demographics, housing and homelessness history, and services used. The team will also host focus groups with staff from homeless and veterans service organizations. The sites were selected in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Legion and other veterans service organizations and will focus on areas with high numbers of female veterans who are homeless.

“We will also examine the pathways and experiences of homelessness, what barriers exist, what has been helpful and what future services should focus on,” adds Dr. Forchuk.

“This study is an important step in addressing the unique challenges faced by female veterans who are homeless,” says Peter Fragiskatos, Parliamentary Under Secretary to the Minister for Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for London North Centre on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister for Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. “By investing in research like this, we are making significant progress in understanding and improving support systems for this population, contributing to the Federal Government’s efforts to end veteran homelessness.”

“This significant investment reflects our commitment to tackling the issue of homelessness among female veterans,” says Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West. “By supporting this groundbreaking research, we aim to uncover the specific barriers they face and develop targeted solutions that celebrate their service and ensure they receive the support they deserve.”

The goal of the four-year study is to provide accurate data to inform gender-specific interventions and guidelines for policy, practice and care for female veterans. According to a 2018 report, Canadian Armed Forces veterans make up a disproportionate share of the homeless population.

“It is clear that the circumstances of this particular subset of our veteran population are not adequately understood,” says Carolyn Hughes, Director of Veterans Services at the Royal Canadian Legion. “We hope this project will help fill some of those gaps while further educating all of us who serve veterans so that we can provide even more timely and targeted assistance when and where it is needed most.”

St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute has a long history of providing veteran care. Originally a veterans’ hospital, it now houses an inpatient veterans’ center, the Operational Stress Injury (OSI) Clinic, and the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research and Innovation Centre. The research centre is considered Canada’s leading mental health research centre and is committed to improving the lives and well-being of military personnel, veterans and their families. The centre’s directors are co-investigators on the study.