A research team from the University of Sherbrooke examined coroner reports and found that the number of deaths among women experiencing homelessness in Quebec more than doubled between 2020 and 2024. The increase, measured at over 200 percent, represents the sharpest rise recorded for any gender within the province’s homeless population during the five‑year period.
The study also revealed that more than one‑third of all deaths among people identified as homeless occurred while the individuals were in a state of hidden homelessness, a condition in which a person lacks stable housing but is not captured by traditional shelter counts. By cross‑referencing coroner data with existing homelessness registries, researchers were able to identify cases where the deceased had not been listed as homeless in official statistics at the time of death.
The findings highlight a growing gap between official homelessness metrics and the lived reality of many vulnerable residents. While the overall number of deaths among the homeless population rose, the surge was most pronounced for women, suggesting that gender‑specific risks are intensifying. The researchers noted that hidden homelessness often involves staying in informal arrangements such as couch‑surfing, staying with acquaintances, or living in temporary, unregistered accommodations, environments that can complicate timely medical intervention.
University of Sherbrooke investigators called for a broader definition of homelessness in public health monitoring to ensure that deaths occurring under hidden conditions are accurately recorded. They emphasized that the coroner’s office data provides a crucial, though previously underused, source of insight into mortality trends among the most marginalized groups. The study’s authors hope that the expanded view of homelessness will inform policy adjustments aimed at reducing preventable deaths and improving outreach to women who are not captured by conventional shelter statistics.
The report underscores the urgency of addressing both the rising mortality rate and the hidden dimensions of homelessness in Quebec, calling attention to the need for more comprehensive data collection and targeted support services.