Housing Day is a holiday that began in Canada but is now also being observed in parts of the U.S. This day falls on November 18th and serves as a reminder of the plight of hundreds of thousands of homeless people.

In 2021, there were approximately 235,000 homeless people in Canada and nearly 553,000 homeless in the U.S. In every country in the world, housing is a major concern and one that needs to be properly addressed.

Around the world, over 150 million people don’t have housing, so this is an important issue that we all need to be concerned about. It’s for this reason that everyone should mark this day on their calendar and consider observing it.

The History of Housing Day

In 1998, the government of Canada decided to properly address the housing problem, and that began with giving it a proper descriptor. They listed homelessness as a national disaster that needed to be addressed by both the local and national levels of government. Two years later, National Housing Day was established and observed on November 18th.

Some Important Facts About Homelessness

We wanted to make sure that everyone who was on the fence about celebrating Housing Day understands the full scope of the problem of homelessness. That’s why we’ve decided to list some of the facts that we know about this problem. We hope the following facts open everyone’s eyes to this problem and encourage them to act accordingly.

• It’s a myth that people choose to be homeless.
• Homelessness causes trauma to those who are homeless.
• Many homeless people have not only one job but also work multiple jobs. It’s estimated that up to 60% of homeless people have at least one job.
• Wage inequality is a major reason why many people can’t afford a place to live.
• It can be hard for people to have a job when they don’t have a phone, can’t do laundry, have no place to regularly bathe, and can’t receive mail.
• Communities can solve the problem of homelessness, but it requires everyone to get involved.

Observing Housing Day

The first thing that we think everyone should do on this day is to be grateful for having a roof over their head — something that millions of people all over the world don’t have. Once a person realizes how fortunate they actually are to have a home, then they can make the effort to help the homeless.

This may entail volunteering or giving money to organizations that help house the homeless. Another way to help is to spread the word about this day to get other people involved. This can be done by organizing special fundraising events and by using the hashtag #HousingDay on social media.