Band-aid on a five-inch gash: policy implications of the alignment between Ottawa’s construction of homelessness and lived experience

Despite policy responses from multiple levels of government, homelessness in Canada continues to grow. The construction of homelessness in policy influences the nature of these responses, and incomplete problem constructions can prevent adequate solutions to the issue. This thesis considers the policy implications of how the Ottawa 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan's construction of homelessness compares to the lived experience of homeless individuals in Ottawa. Using data from focus groups with individuals experiencing homelessness in Ottawa and an analysis of the Ottawa 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan, this study argues that the construction of homelessness contained in policy fails to accurately reflect lived experience due to embedded neoliberal values. Consequently, the proposed solutions reinforce the very structures that sustain homelessness, perpetuating the social control and stigmatization of homeless populations. The findings highlight the need for meaningful inclusion of lived experience in constructing social problems to improve policy responses.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Sociology

Grantor dc:publisher

Carleton University

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Tongs, Carter

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 2024 the author(s). Theses may be used for non-commercial research, educational, or related academic purposes only. Such uses include personal study, distribution to students, research and scholarship. Theses may only be shared by linking to the Carleton University Institutional Repository and no part may be copied without proper attribution to the author; no part may be used for commercial purposes directly or indirectly via a for-profit platform; no adaptation or derivative works are permitted without consent from the copyright owner.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

10.22215/etd/2025-16360

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:carleton.scholaris.ca:20.500.14718/43503