Most housing organizations in Canada deal with the social issue of homelessness. NHRC established this Working Group on Homelessness in 1994 to help provide a comprehensive response to the homeless population’s needs, and to coordinate the services and the service providers acting in homeless persons’ interests. The Working Group objectives include:

• Establish and maintain the Homelessness Working Group membership to include both producers and users of homelessness research, including federal and provincial housing staff and agencies which work with homeless people or provide housing for people with low incomes
• Invite guest speakers to elaborate on homelessness research that has been undertaken or underway
• Facilitate the exchange of information between Homelessness Working Group members on the status of each other’s work
• Identify homelessness research gaps and issues that have become apparent
• Identify and document the value of housing to positive health and societal outcomes

Current co-chairs of the Working Group are: Ashique Biswas, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Dan Troke, Nova Scotia, Department of Community Services.