Those of us without housing should have the same rights of remembrance as the rest of us. However, many do not have the resources to bring about that wish. This website provides a digital space that allows friends, family, service providers, outreach workers and those of us to remember those who have died.
The Toronto Homeless Memorial Network is a collaborative group, working with many people in the community. The homeless memorial’s website is an extension of the community who physically gathers once per month. We meet at the Church of the Holy Trinity, every second Tuesday of the month at noon.
We are also here to state that people dying while homeless is not okay and we need to work diligently together to prevent this ongoing crisis. In the meantime, we will endeavour to offer more dignity and struggle for more justice for those who have passed away while homeless. Thank you for visiting
How we define (A) Homeless Death
If someone dies while homeless they will be included in the Online Homeless Memorial, regardless of the reasons for their death. If someone has been homeless in the recent past and their death is associated with their homelessness, they will also be included.
The Online Homeless Memorial includes people who died while they were:
- on the street
- staying in a shelter (all types including both emergency and temporary shelters such as Out of the Cold or overnight 24 hour drop-ins or warming/cooling centres
- in custody (i.e. confined to jail) with no fixed address in the community
- in hospital including general, psychiatric, and long-term care or palliative care/hospice (with no fixed address in the community)
- transitory and short-term accommodations (i.e. couch-surfing, staying with friends, hotel, or motel, but otherwise no fixed address)
- living in unsafe and/or inadequate accommodation (i.e. squats, outdoor shelters)
- on their home reserve (for Indigenous people) if they went there with the knowledge they were ill
We know that homelessness and the lack of affordable housing itself is the cause of death for many people who are homeless. People who have been dehoused also die much younger than the general housed population. Homeless deaths are a crisis and the issue needs addressing. Here are some ways. We know that people care about these issues and want to be a part of changing the political response. Here are some ways in which some of us have found useful to help our communities and to prevent homeless deaths