Alberta youth homelessness report reveals gaps in support

Alberta's Office of the Child and Youth Advocate released a report Wednesday highlighting the urgent need for stronger supports to prevent youth homelessness, based on stories from 156 people ages 12 to 24 who were or are unhoused.

Titled "A Place to Belong," the report reveals that about 35 per cent of young people surveyed identified as 2SLGBTQ+—aligning with national statistics showing this group is overrepresented among those experiencing homelessness. Approximately 45 per cent identified as Indigenous, reflecting overrepresentation of Indigenous youth in the unhoused population.

Young people shared accounts of family breakdown, conflict, neglect, and abuse as primary drivers of homelessness. One 17-year-old wrote: "Tell people we're not bad kids. We just didn't have anywhere else to go."

Another 24-year-old described becoming homeless after their father was unable to accept their queerness. "My dad struggles with this," the youth said. "I ended up getting a restraining order against my dad due to him being physical with me. After he told me he was going to kill me, I knew I had to get out."

About 40 per cent of respondents said they had involvement with the justice system, and approximately 65 per cent experienced some level of government intervention. Many described being moved repeatedly between systems, disrupting their connection to family and community.

One 21-year-old called on institutions and governments to better support communities to care for their own children. "Create space for healing, for connection," the youth said. "Let kids stay in their communities and stop moving us around all the time."

The office surveyed youth from throughout Alberta—Edmonton, Calgary, Edson, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Lethbridge, and Indigenous nations—between July 2025 and the report's release.