09/30/2026
🧡Today is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, but every day at Threshold we are reminded of the impacts of the residential school system.
The data is staggering: the most recent PiT count showed people who identify as Indigenous comprised almost one third of the population surveyed. This is six times the proportion of Indigenous people among the total Canadian population.
In addition to disproportionate representation, Indigenous homelessness is experienced differently: First Nations communities are more likely to experience hidden homelessness, unsheltered homelessness, and homelessness in health or correctional systems. Hidden and unsheltered homelessness receives no supports or services, no access to care or community.
Last year, 42% of our youth were Indigenous, a 15% increase from the previous year.
Indigenous youth deserve access to safe and stable housing and the necessary care needed to heal from the generational trauma of residential schools. At THS, we know preventing homelessness among Indigenous youth requires far more than housing alone. Home is the first step to healing, but wraparound services are critical. We must walk alongside young people in ways that affirm their identities, rebuild trust, and connect them to culture, community, and a sense of purpose.
Today we wear orange, a symbol of the loss of culture, freedom, and self esteem that Indigenous youth experienced at the hands of residential schools. We stand with our youth on their journey toward truth, healing, and reconciliation, and encourage our community to continue to remember every child matters every day.
Read more about our Indigenous Wellness program at the link in our bio, or visit thresholdhousing.ca/blog
