"There are few things wholly evil, or wholly good. Almost every thing, especially of governmental policy, is an inseparable compound of the two; so that our best judgment of the preponderance between them is continually demanded.." -- Abraham Lincoln

Do you actually have something useful to say about homelessness? Really? Great!! Then apply to come to Calgary May 27 and 28 and present at the 9th Annual Data That Makes A Difference conference. @policy_school @calgaryhomeless @CAEHomelessness https://t.co/wS5zy7bTnt

Pursuing one strategy to the exclusion of the other leaves important gains unrealized. @policy_school

This month Social Policy Trends reminds us that anti-poverty initiatives and policies to encourage employment growth are both effective ways of reducing poverty. 1/2 https://t.co/xRx6i3FUY5

From 2016-23, the number of domestic violence beds have increased by 55% in Toronto, 95% in Calgary, 115% in Montreal and 163% Vancouver. The increase in demand for spaces in domestic violence shelters represents one of the unexpected consequences and costs of the housing crisis.

But if no housing is to be found, women and their children are forced to remain in what was supposed to be temporary shelter. In response, providers have had to dramatically increase the number of beds they provide and to accommodate longer stays.

High rents and the housing shortage they signal make it more difficult for women and children to escape their abusers. Fortunately, domestic violence shelters are available to provide temporary housing while more permanent housing is sought.

After a short hiatus, Social Policy Trends is back. This month we describe how the housing crisis impacts the victims of domestic violence and the organizations that provide them with temporary shelter. 🧵 @policy_school https://t.co/QFqUtu6BZi

Preventing homelessness is more cost-effective than dealing with the issue after the fact. This requires knowing who is at imminent risk of losing their housing. That is what he Homelessness Income Cut Off (HICO) does. @policy_school @calgaryhomeless https://t.co/H83uKM2MYO

Data on food bank use is an underappreciated source of information on the rising risk of homelessness and offers a way of possibly preventing some forms of homelessness before it begins. /fin @calgaryhomeless @VibrantCalgary

An implication is that for many individuals and families, homelessness is the end result of a steady worsening of one's circumstances. Knowing this, policymakers and service agencies have the opportunity to apply well-timed interventions to prevent homelessness from happening.

In the year immediately prior to entering a homeless shelter, reliance on a food bank increased by over 70% relative to 5 years prior.

In the study, we observed how the same people make use of both food banks and homeless shelters. The data reveal that in the 5 years prior to entering a homeless shelter for the first time, reliance on a food bank steadily increased.

For those who like their policy studies in bite-sized pieces, today @policy_school has released a one-page description of a key result from a recent research paper. This is part of our Social Policy Trends series. 🧵 https://t.co/fzwfXbkjPK

Taking advantage of this opportunity requires greater attention being paid to the common experiences of individuals and families relying on food banks and those facing the threat of homelessness. /fin

An implication of this result is that for many, homelessness is the end result of a steady worsening of one's circumstances. Knowing this, policymakers and service agencies have the opportunity to apply well-timed interventions to prevent homelessness from happening.

With these data, we show that for many individuals and families, losing housing follows a large increase in food bank use over the preceding 5 years.

Today, @policy_school released a study linking two administrative datasets, one describing the use of food banks, the other describing the use of homeless shelters. 🧵 @calgaryhomeless @calgaryfoodbank @DailyBreadTO @VibrantCalgary https://t.co/nWpWOc5Hgt

In new research, Ali Jadidzadeh and @RonKneebone challenge the notion that homelessness is primarily caused by sudden crises, pointing instead to a gradual deterioration in financial stability. This paper was completed in partnership with @calgaryhomeless and the Calgary Food

Have you bought your ticket yet? Why not? Get on it, eh? https://t.co/XQVEaoDNC1 @calgaryhomeless @policy_school

Bail violations a warning sign for domestic violence, report says