Shelters Adjusting as More Older Canadians Becoming Homeless, Non-Profits Say

A homeless camp on Port of Vancouver property adjacent to Crab Park, in Vancouver on June 10, 2020. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press

Canadian non-profit groups are seeing an increase in the number of older individuals seeking assistance at shelters, and they say it’s changing the way their organizations respond to the rising homeless population.

The Mustard Seed senior director of shelter operations Samantha Lowe says her organization experienced a “consistent” rise in the number of individuals aged 55 and older seeking shelter between 2023 and 2024.