09/14/2026
Let me check the latest 2026 numbers for you. As of 2026, the most recent federal data shows about 65,000 Canadians experienced homelessness on a single night across 75 cities, which is up roughly 89 percent since 2022. Within that, around 12,800 people were sleeping in unsheltered locations like streets, alleys, cars, and parks. That compares to the 132,000 shelter users in 2015, though the methods and coverage have shifted a bit over time. The reports you’re seeing from mid 2026 all point to a sharp increase in both the overall count and in people living outdoors.Right, so when the Liberals first took power in 2015 under Justin Trudeau, the most cited federal estimate was about 132,500 people who used an emergency shelter that year. That figure comes from the National Shelter Study for 2015, and it covers shelter users over the course of the year, not a single-night count. On any given night at that time, the shelter count was around 15,000 people. Estimates vary a bit depending on whether you count only shelters or also people sleeping rough and hidden homelessness, but 132,000 for 2015 is the main government number that gets referenced for that period.