Introduction
Around 1.3 million Canadians have experienced housing insecurity or homelessness in their lifetime. As of 2024 alone, the number of homeless people in Canada has an estimated range of between 150,000 and 300,000. With almost half of Canadians living paycheque to paycheque in 2024, it only takes a small change in circumstances to jeopardize access to stable housing. Employment loss, mental and physical health issues, abuse, addiction, death, and separation, along with a myriad of other factors, can lead to Canadians being forced out of homes. The high cost of living compromises the affordability of housing, and the ongoing housing crisis limits supply, further aggravating the issue. For those from marginalized communities, the situation is even more dire. For example, while only 5% of Canadian population is Indigenous, 30% of those experiencing homelessness are from Indigenous communities, and approximately 42% of the documented homeless population are refugee claimants.
Homelessness has no singular cause. The situation that leads each individual or family to homelessness is uniquely complicated. Therefore, combatting homelessness requires a multifaceted and coordinated effort. This is the approach taken by Fred Victor, a charitable organization working to meet the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). A charitable social service organization established in 1886, its mission is to “improve the health, income, and housing stability of people experiencing poverty and homelessness.” Operating more than 25 different sites across the GTA, Fred Victor runs four main streams of programs to combat homelessness: housing solutions, health and wellness services, income generation and education, and food security and nutrition. As of 2024, the organization reaches over 3,000 people who benefit daily from its programs and services (see Exhibit 1 for an overview of Fred Victor’s broader impact).
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This case was written by Zachary Meager. The author prepared this case under the supervision of Professors Sonia Kang and Hyeun Lee.
The development of this case study was supported by the Latner GATE MBA Internships program.