A report has found that thousands of people were released from Ontario prisons with no fixed address in just one year, and experts warn a lack of housing increases risk of reoffending.
The study, released by the John Howard Society (JHS) on Thursday, says that 7,455 of the people released from provincial jails between 2023-24 didn’t have a home.
The number represents nearly 10 per cent of the province’s overall unhoused population, which reached 80,000 people in 2024, according to another report by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), published earlier this year.
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The report also highlights that the numbers could be much higher, since jails only collect housing information from inmates once they are admitted, but not upon release.
JHS’s Director of Policy Safiyah Husein, who was one of the lead authors of the report, said that despite the significant numbers, she was not surprised with the findings.
“I think it confirmed something that we knew, sort of from anecdotes, from experience. JHS supports people across the province that are formerly incarcerated, and we know housing is a really big issue,” she told Now Toronto.
Husein also said the report shined light on a cycle of homelessness and criminality that many Ontarians find themselves in. As highlighted in the report, data indicates that homelessness can be both the cause and consequence of incarceration.
While nearly one in six people admitted to jail have no fixed address, once they leave correctional facilities, they are likely to go back into homelessness, and with more difficulties finding housing and income opportunities, many return to jail, creating a vicious cycle that is difficult to leave.
“People have mental health [or] substance use issues that are untreated, needs that are unmet, and if people get released right back into homelessness, they go right back into the same environment that they started at without any of those underlying needs being met. The chances of reoffending are quite high,” she added.
Meanwhile, Acting Executive Director of the Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness (TAEH) Savhanna Wilson says that part of the issue also involves laws that increase instances of discrimination or profiling related to homelessness or substance use.
Earlier this year, the Ontario government introduced Bill 6 on Safer Municipalities Act. This legislation allows for police officers to “issue directions” to individuals they believe are consuming illicit substances in public spaces, including seizing the substances, gathering personal information and even arresting them without a warrant.
“There’s definitely a target on the backs of folks who are experiencing homelessness, because that kind of legislation is specifically about parks and public places. I think [it] is creating an increased opportunity for the police to over surveil those communities, and an increased opportunity for folks to be targeted with jail time,” they explained to Now Toronto.
MINORITY GROUPS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE AFFECTED
The JHS report also points out that minority groups are also significantly more impacted by homelessness after jail release.
As pointed out, individuals from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community often face family rejection, discrimination and harassment that can lead many to become unhoused early in life. Meanwhile, Black and Indigenous people face systemic discrimination, including racial profiling, over-policing, and barriers to housing and employment.
Toronto’s 2024 Street Needs Assessment released earlier this month found that out of the 15,418 people experiencing homelessness in the city, 58 per cent identify as Black, while Black individuals make up only 10 per cent of the overall population.
Similarly, while only three per cent of the city’s population identifies as Indigenous, they account for nine per cent of unhoused individuals.
“We know Black and Indigenous folks are overrepresented in our criminal legal system and are often impacted by a number of compounding barriers and challenges that can cause an increased likelihood of both homelessness and incarceration,” Husein added.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE PROVINCE
In light of the findings, the report also outlined a series of recommendations to the province’s Solicitor General.
Ontario currently doesn’t offer housing support for individuals leaving correctional facilities. However, many people are admitted to jail with no fixed address, and others might also lose their housing while in jail or not be able to return home due to release conditions.
JHS suggests that the province consider housing to accommodate individuals transitioning from jails, as well as offer programs that can help reintroduce them into the community, such as employment and mental health support.
“Quebec has a program, they have housing for people leaving both provincial and federal institutions, but here in Ontario, we don’t have those options,” Husein said.
Another issue highlighted in the report is that individuals are not eligible for governmental assistance, such as Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program, while incarcerated, providing another hurdle in getting income.
The study says the province should allow inmates to continue receiving the aid, and also offer up to three months of rental support after they are released.
A lot of inmates’ credit scores are also impacted after leaving jail, and many of their housing applications are denied making it difficult to find shelter. In response to this, experts recommend that the province consider releasing a campaign targeting landlords to advocate against stigmas in the private housing market.
“A lot of people who have been through the criminal legal system are just trying to get a chance at rebuilding their lives, and it’s really unfair for landlords to discriminate when you blanket discrimination against people with criminal records,” Husein said.
Wilson hopes that the recommendations might prompt the province to take steps to address homelessness, such as investing in transitional and affordable housing. They point out that with more reports on homelessness, experts speaking out and communities pressing for action, there is hope that the government might act.
“It’s undeniable that this crisis is getting significantly worse, and if the province continues to resist the recommendations coming out of the community, out of experts, it’s only going to continue to get increasingly worse,” she adds.
Meanwhile, Husein highlights that supporting former offenders can benefit all Ontarians.
“If we are able to provide housing with support for people as they exit our provincial jails that allows them to stabilize, it prevents reoffending. It creates safer communities and benefits us all,” she added.
SOLICITOR GENERAL TO REVIEW REPORT
A spokesperson for the Solicitor General Michael Kerzner told Now Toronto that his office will take steps to review the report.
His office also highlighted some of its initiatives to support people experiencing homelessness, including creating 28 Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs and 560 supportive housing units, as well as addiction recovery and treatment beds.
“Our government is investing $75.5 million to provide people experiencing homelessness with access to safe, secure accommodations and the wrap-around supports they need while creating 1,239 additional housing units, 815 supportive housing units, and 971 additional shelter spaces,” the spokesperson added.
