The homelessness sector already knows that the only way to truly solve the problem of homelessness is to shift towards preventing it before it happens.

But if we want to address homelessness through prevention, we must be clear on what this means. What systems changes and structural shifts could help to reduce someone’s risk of experiencing housing precarity? How can we ensure that people who have been homeless – and who are now housed – do not experience homelessness again? Ultimately, preventing homelessness cannot and should not be solely the responsibility of the homelessness sector.

In this webinar, Stephen Gaetz, President and CEO of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, discusses what it means to prevent homelessness with examples from real-life success stories.

We also announce the launch of our new expert series called Prevention Matters! which will highlight groundbreaking prevention initiatives in Canada and beyond.

(In a hurry? Check out our RECAP BLOG for a summary!) 

HOST

Dr. Stephen Gaetz is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at York University, in Toronto Canada. In 2021, Dr. Gaetz was named York Research Chair in Homelessness and Research Impact.

As a scholar Dr. Stephen Gaetz has had a long-standing interest in understanding homelessness – its causes, how it is experienced, and potential solutions. His program of research has been defined by his desire to ‘make research matter’ through conducting and mobilizing rigorous scholarly research that contributes not only to our knowledge base on homelessness but also to solutions to homelessness that impact on policy, practice and public opinion. Dr. Gaetz has led efforts to help communities and all orders of government to embrace the prevention of homelessness – and youth homelessness in particular – as a priority.

Dr. Gaetz is the President of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and the Homeless Hub at York University as well as the Scientific Director of Making the Shift – Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab.  In 2017 Dr. Gaetz was awarded the Member of the Order of Canada. In 2021, in partnership with A Way Home Canada, the body of work on youth homelessness prevention was designated by the United Nations as the UN Geneva Charter Centre of Excellence on Youth Homelessness Prevention (Toronto).