Addressing a critical but overlooked aspect of Ottawa’s current housing crisis

People who have experienced chronic homelessness are at increased risk for a range of health conditions as they reach middle age, the most serious of which is premature aging. Premature aging, experienced by this group of people, results from time spent in hospital or on the street, often with substance use, limited access to health care and nutrition, personal hygiene, and an elevated threat of violence.

By the time they reach their mid-forties, these adults have aged faster than most and are experiencing health problems similar to people in their sixties and seventies. In short, they are physically older than their actual age.

While some of their earlier mental health conditions and substance use have declined, depression, isolation, and inability to function independently have increased.

Because their biological age is well beyond their actual age, receiving appropriately trained support and care is complicated. Finding specialized care can be challenging. Specialists may feel unequipped to see someone with severe mental illness. For these adults, opportunities for aging in place with dignity and independence are virtually non-existent in one of Canada’s wealthiest cities.