What is Homelessness Prevention?
When we talk about homelessness prevention, we are not just talking about preventing a first episode of homelessness. We are also referring to preventing future episodes of homelessness among individuals who are currently unhoused, or who have been unhoused several times in the past. Increasingly, people who lose their housing are unhoused for longer and are experiencing more frequent episodes [1,2]. This is happening because of structural changes in our society that have led to increased income inequality and a widening wealth gap that is leaving many struggling to compete in the context of rising inflation that has made daily life unaffordable for many [3].
Homelessness Prevention Frameworks
There are a range of frameworks designed to guide homelessness prevention efforts. These frameworks have been primarily informed by a public health perspective, and highlight three different types of prevention:
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Primary Prevention: Preventing a first episode of homelessness
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Secondary Prevention: Preventing homelessness among individuals at imminent risk
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Tertiary Prevention: Preventing homelessness among individuals who have been unhoused before
Perhaps the most well-recognized framework is the typology of homelessness prevention advanced by Gaetz, Dej & Schwan [4] (see Figure 1), and built upon by Oudshoorn et al. [5]. This typology describes a range of strategies for preventing homelessness including:
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Structural Prevention: Shifting policies and legislation to promote social inclusion and equality
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Systems Prevention: Addressing institutional and systemic problems that lead to homelessness
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Early Intervention: Approaches aimed at supporting people at imminent risk of losing a tenancy
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Evictions Prevention: Preventing homelessness among people who are currently housed
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Housing Stability: Providing person-centred supports to help someone avoid homelessness after it has occurred
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Empowerment: Offering services that emphasize autonomy and the fundamental need for personal choice
Gaetz, Dej & Schwan, 2020 [4]
Figure 1. Typology of Homelessness Prevention
The Bridging the Transition Framework is focused primarily on Tertiary Prevention. That is, preventing homelessness among individuals who have been unhoused previously, and often several times in the past. To learn more about homelessness prevention, and the origins of the Bridging the Transition Framework, read Chapter 1 in the framework book [6].
References
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Infrastructure Canada (2025). Homelessness data snapshot: Analysis of chronic homelessness among shelter users in Canada 2017 - 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2026 at https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/homelessness-sans-abri/reports-rapports/chronic-homelessness-2017-2024-litinerance-chronique-eng.html
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Soucy, D., Hall, A. & Moses, J. (2025). State of Homelessness: 2025 Edition. National Alliance to End Homelessness. Retrieved May 9, 2026 at https://endhomelessness.org/state-of-homelessness/
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Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (2025). Retrieved May 9, 2026 at: https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/inflation-and-cost-of-living.html
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Dej, E., Gaetz, S., & Schwan, K. (2020). Turning off the tap: A typology for homelessness prevention. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 41(5), 397-412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-020-00607-y
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Oudshoorn, A., Dej, E., Parsons, C., & Gaetz, S. (2020). Evolving an evidence‐based model for homelessness prevention. Health & Social Care in the Community, 28(5), 1754-1763. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13000
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Marshall, C. A. (2025). Introduction to the Origins and Components of the Bridging the Transition Framework. In Bridging the Transition to Housing (pp. 3-14). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003541332-2