United Housing research paper examines effectiveness of temporary shelter models amid homelessness crisis

A position paper from United Way Perth-Huron’s United Housing is suggesting that funding to prevent and end homelessness should be directed to housing first models with supports, rather than temporary tiny shelters and similar accommodations.

The report, titled The Social and Financial Cost of Non-Permanent Shelter Systems for Addressing Homelessness, concluded through secondary research that temporary accommodations to address homelessness such as tiny shelters is not as effective in finding permanent housing solutions compared to the housing first model.

Kathy Vassilakos, United Housing director, and research intern Maria Erb made a position paper that demonstrated that while more communities are turning to temporary shelters, research shows that it does not help find permanent housing for unhoused individuals. However, Vassilakos said that the paper is not suggesting eliminating emergency shelters.

“It's not a criticism of emergency shelter systems and it's not a criticism of emergency shelter systems of youth or women and children escaping domestic violence. Those emergency shelter systems are crucial,” she said. “What we're saying is if we're having limited resources and we should not be expanding an emergency shelter system that isn't the gold standard of how we actually address this in the long run."

Vassilakos said that United Housing has often been asked if the organization would implement temporary accommodations.

Ontario saw an increase in those who experienced homelessness over the past few years. In 2024, more than 85,000 people across the province experienced homelessness – a 25 per cent increase from 2022 and more than half experienced chronic homelessness.

In Stratford and St. Marys, 144 households were experiencing homelessness with 131 experiencing chronic homelessness. Similarly in Huron County, there were 148 households experiencing homelessness in July 2025 and 126 considered to be experiencing chronic homelessness.

Vassilakos hopes the report can ignite conversations.

“We're hoping to have community conversations where we can talk to people in the community about when you're advocating for this, when you're coming to us with a concern about the rise in homelessness – which I will add homelessness is growing at twice the rate rural and small communities in Ontario than it is in large urban centers – so it is a crisis that has come to small town Ontario,” she said. “So, when we're having conversations and when the community's having conversations of what they're demanding of their municipality or the province or the feds, what should you be advocating for?"

The report can be read online by visiting https://unitedhousingperthhuron.ca/educate-and-advocate.