Transforming the Canadian Policy Agenda for School-Based Prevention of Youth Homelessness: Research as Activism

Abstract

Youth homelessness (YH) demands transformative changes in research, education, and public policy. Distinct from adult homelessness (AH), poorly addressed YH may lead to AH. Prevailing media narratives and policy communications perpetuate stigma and are unrepresentative of youth’s lived experiences, hindering the educational sector’s capacity to implement supportive measures in youth homelessness prevention. Schools are well poised to provide preventative and mitigative supports to address YH, yet the work intensification of educators has reached a point of fatigue, thus threatening support efficacy. We conceptualize research as activism and propose that policy can be engaged as a matter of social justice and a means to transform society via research and knowledge mobilization (KMb). Our Canadian environmental scan informs several studies in progress, which share goals to: prevent YH; reduce harms from intersectional issues to YH; and ameliorate conditions for resilience pertaining to youth in or at risk of homelessness. We call for a multi-pronged approach to engage stakeholders and the education sector in addressing this high-stakes issue disproportionately affecting underserved youth. Our findings chart the next steps of this research as activism cycle.