Homelessness is a global problem.  

Realizing this is what it took for Abe Oudshoorn and his colleagues to address homelessness in a fresh, new way. “In our field, we often just look at our own communities, or maybe provincially and federally,” says Abe, a Western nursing professor who has long specialized in homelessness.

“As I began to look globally and talk with others in my field, I was struck by is how similar the challenge is everywhere.”

We are dealing with the same issues worldwide: lack of available housing, high costs, and insufficient support for those without a home.

Abe and his colleagues realized they could do more by working together. So they created the International Journal on Homelessness, of which he is managing editor.  

“This is a way for us to create a global dialogue where we can begin to define a shared definition of homelessness. And we are ensuring the global south has a strong voice because those nations are often left out of academic research. We accept articles in eight different languages and provide free publication, which lets us share information more widely.”

Abe is working with the NGO Working Group to End Homelessness. One of its goals is to have ending homelessness as one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) when they are updated in 2030. He says that will mean countries adhering to the SDGs will be accountable for addressing homelessness and recognizing housing as a fundamental human right.  

He is also collaborating with homelessness advocates in Ontario. With funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, they have developed a province-wide network that has proposed a policy framework to end homelessness.

As for his own impact, he cites John Irving’s novel The Cider House Rules.

“There is a physician character in that story who encourages people to ‘be of use.’ I want to be of use in ending homelessness. Not just at the local level, but to push policy at the national level, and be part of a global movement and a global conversation.”