People experiencing homelessness in Toronto are dying significantly younger than the city’s housed population, and the gap is widening especially among younger adults according to a new study released Friday by Unity Health Toronto.
The research found that, on average, people who are homeless in Toronto die 17 years earlier than those who are not homeless. More alarmingly, the disparity is most severe among younger age groups, challenging the assumption that higher mortality is mainly concentrated among older homeless individuals.
Lucie Richard, a researcher at Unity Health Toronto and one of the study’s authors, described the findings as deeply troubling.
“The age disparity was the most disturbing finding,” Richard told to reporter. “People who are between 25 and 44 years old have over 16 times the risk of death compared to age-equivalent people who are housed. It’s a very, very large disparity.”
The study showed that mortality among people experiencing homelessness does not follow the same pattern as in the general population. While death rates are typically low in younger age groups and rise with age, that trend does not hold true for those without stable housing.
“In the general population, when you’re younger, the likelihood of death is much lower,” Richard said. “That’s not true when people are experiencing homelessness. There are a whole lot of exposures and risks that increase your risk of death.”
Researchers adjusted their analysis for factors such as substance use and mental health conditions issues often linked to homelessness but found that these alone do not explain the mortality gap. Even after accounting for those factors, homeless individuals still faced more than double the risk of death across all age groups.
One striking finding was among youth and young adults. While the study recorded no deaths among housed participants aged 16 to 25, several deaths occurred within the same age range among those experiencing homelessness.
The research followed 640 people experiencing homelessness in Toronto over a one-year period. Participants were matched with two comparison groups a general population group and a low-income housed group based on age, sex, and overall health status. Over the course of the year, more than a dozen homeless participants died, with their average age at death being 17 years younger than those in the comparison groups.
Richard noted that the situation appears worse than it was decades ago. Similar research conducted in Toronto in the 1990s also found a mortality gap, but the new figures suggest the problem has intensified.
“The numbers that we’re seeing are substantially higher,” she said. “This is not new information everybody knows mortality is high in this group. What we need now is a renewed call to action.”
According to City of Toronto data, more than 8,000 people are currently experiencing homelessness in the city. In 2024 alone, 43 people have died within Toronto’s shelter system.
While there are interventions that help improve the lives of people experiencing homelessness, Richard emphasized that prevention is key.
“Frankly, the best solution is to avoid homelessness to begin with,” she said. “Improvements to rent subsidies and other measures to prevent homelessness are things that really need to be discussed more.”
The study’s main limitation, Richard acknowledged, is the lack of data on causes of death.
“That’s something I regret deeply,” she said. “We need cause-of-death information to better target interventions. That information is crucial.”
Researchers say the findings underscore the urgent need for stronger housing policies and preventive measures, warning that without meaningful action, the mortality gap will continue to grow especially among younger generations.
