Homelessness in Quebec: A CIRANO Report That Has Received Widespread Media Attention

The report “Les coûts économiques associés à l’itinérance au Québec” authored by Eric Latimer (CIRANO Researcher and Fellow, McGill University), Karine Perreault (Douglas Research Center), Caleb Foster (McGill University), Alex Schurr (Douglas Research Center), Dimitra Panagiotoglou (McGill University), and Erin C. Strumpf (CIRANO Researcher and Fellow, McGill University), has received significant media attention since its publication.

While Quebec is experiencing a sharp rise in visible homelessness—with 12,077 people counted during the April 2025 census, representing a 20% increase since 2022—the study aims to examine this issue from an economic perspective. In particular, the study estimates the economic costs associated with homelessness in Quebec at $776 million per year, or approximately $77,600 per person.

These findings were notably reported by La Presse, which published an article on the study’s conclusions and the estimated socioeconomic cost of homelessness. The report was also highlighted by the Observatoire québécois des inégalités, which reviewed its key findings and the links between the housing crisis and homelessness.

The study also reached beyond the print media thanks to several media appearances by Éric Latimer, the report’s author. On July 16, he gave an interview on QUB 99.5, on the program *L’émission du midi* with Isabelle Perron and Francis Gosselin, as well as on Radio Boulevard 102 in Quebec City, also on *L’émission du midi*.

Beyond these outcomes, this visibility helps raise awareness of research findings that provide a better understanding of the costs associated with homelessness and potential interventions that could reduce the heavy reliance on public services. In particular, the study highlights the potential of “Housing First” approaches—which provide permanent housing accompanied by support services—to improve the life trajectories of people experiencing homelessness while reducing certain costs associated with the use of public services.

These various impacts demonstrate the social and economic relevance of the work conducted by CIRANO researchers and their contribution to debates on major societal issues in Quebec.