Variable | Vancouver Site N (%) 497 (49.2) | Winnipeg Site N (%) 513 (50.8) | P value |
Need level | |||
High need | 297 (59.8) | 199 (38.8) | <0.001 |
Moderate need | 200 (40.2) | 314 (61.2) | |
Gender | |||
Male | 359 (72.8) | 326 (63.8) | 0.002 |
Female | 134 (27.2) | 185 (36.2) | |
Age at enrolment | |||
Youth | 36 (7.2) | 64 (12.5) | 0.020 |
25–44 years | 281 (56.5) | 277 (54.0) | |
44 plus years | 180 (36.2) | 172 (33.5) | |
Ethnicity | |||
Indigenous | 77 (15.5) | 362 (70.6) | <0.001 |
White | 280 (56.3) | 112 (21.8) | |
Mixed/other | 140 (28.2) | 39 (7.6) | |
Education | |||
High school or higher | 214 (43.3) | 157 (30.7) | <0.001 |
Less than high school | 280 (56.7) | 354 (69.3) | |
Marital status | |||
Single (never married) | 343 (69.6) | 359 (70.3) | 0.971 |
Married/partner | 25 (5.1) | 25 (4.9) | |
Separated/widow/divorced | 125 (25.4) | 127 (24.9) | |
Have children (under 18) | 122 (25.1) | 238 (47.1) | <0.001 |
Hospitalised for mental illness over 6 months in past 5 years | 57 (11.7) | 23 (4.5) | <0.001 |
Hospitalised for mental illness over two times in the past 5 years | 253 (52.7) | 111 (21.9) | <0.001 |
Arrested/imprisoned/probation/community sanction in past 6 months | 221 (45.2) | 179 (35.0) | 0.001 |
Spend one or more night in hospital, detox, shelter and jail in past 6 months | 65 (84.4) | 321 (88.7) | 0.298 |
Length of homelessness lifetime | |||
1–3 years | 257 (52.3) | 262 (53.0) | 0.827 |
3 years plus | 234 (47.7) | 232 (47.0) | |
Length of homelessness longest single period | |||
12 months | 246 (50.1) | 227 (46.9) | 0.317 |
13–60 months | 182 (37.1) | 192 (39.7) | |
60 months plus | 63 (12.8) | 65 (13.4) | |
Age first homeless | |||
18 years or less | 110 (22.4) | 138 (27.2) | 0.173 |
19–30 years | 158 (32.2) | 151 (29.8) | |
31–40 years | 94 (19.1) | 106 (20.9) | |
Over 40 years | 129 (26.3) | 112 (22.1) | |
Housing status | |||
Absolutely homeless | 388 (78.1) | 354 (69.1) | 0.001 |
Precariously housed | 109 (21.9) | 158 (30.9) | |
Mental illness | |||
Less severe mental illness | 264 (53.1) | 436 (85.0) | <0.001 |
Multiple mental disorders (≥2) | 240 (48.3) | 338 (65.9) | <0.001 |
Post-traumatic stress disorder | 129 (26.0) | 233 (45.4) | <0.001 |
Current suicidality (high) | 373 (75.1) | 447 (87.1) | <0.001 |
Chronic disease and service access | |||
Bloodborne diseases | 157 (31.9) | 113 (22.2) | 0.001 |
Two or more physical illness | 402 (80.9) | 458 (89.3) | <0.001 |
Have a regular medical doctor | 320 (64.5) | 337 (65.7) | 0.695 |
Place you usually go when you are sick or need advice about your health | 395 (80.8) | 430 (84.1) | 0.161 |
Needed healthcare, but did not receive it in past 6 months | 209 (43.2) | 278 (55.0) | <0.001 |
Substance use | |||
Current alcohol dependence | 29 (37.7) | 261 (72.1) | <0.001 |
Current substance dependence | 57 (74.0) | 183 (50.6) | <0.001 |
Age first alcohol use (categorised by median) (>14; <13) | 33 (44.0) | 140 (39.9) | 0.510 |
42 (56.0) | 211 (60.1) | ||
Age first drug use (After >14; <13) | 37 (49.3) | 160 (47.1) | 0.721 |
38 (50.7) | 180 (52.9) | ||
Global Assessment of Individual Need score (0–3 less severe); (4–5 severe) substance use in past month | 34 (48.6) | 214 (62.8) | 0.027 |
36 (51.4) | 127 (37.2) |