Food Bank Use Prior to Homelessness

Abstract

This policy brief investigates the relationship between food bank usage and homelessness, examining how individuals and families respond to financial shocks that threaten their ability to maintain a home. By linking administrative data from the Calgary Homeless Foundation and the Calgary Food Bank, this research identifies patterns in food bank reliance before individuals and families enter the shelter system. The data reveal that as people approach the loss of housing, their use of food banks increases significantly, suggesting that the use of food banks may be an early warning indicator of potential homelessness. Our linking of data describing food bank usage and homelessness reveals that among individuals and families who enter a homeless shelter for the first time, over 60 per cent had used the food bank in the five years prior to their shelter admission. During the year prior to their first stay in a homeless shelter, the average individual increased their food bank usage by 70 per cent relative to five years earlier. Families showed a similar trend, with a 74 per cent increase in food bank usage during the year prior to shelter entry relative to five years earlier. The findings of this research suggest that for many individuals and households, homelessness is not the result of a sudden catastrophic event but rather a steady worsening of one’s circumstances. By using data on food bank reliance as an early indicator of housing distress, policymakers and service agencies may be able to develop interventions to prevent homelessness before it happens. Taking advantage of this opportunity requires greater attention being paid to the common experiences of individuals and families relying on food banks and those facing housing challenges.