The The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Prevention Matters! January 2026 panel featured a conversation with PolicyWise for Children and Families on key learnings from their data pilot projects in British Columbia and Calgary, funded by Making the Shift and in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia.
Youth experiencing homelessness often move through multiple systems of support — but the data needed to develop strong cross-system services and effective prevention policies remains siloed and scattered across organizations and sectors. When governments, community organizations, and researchers cannot easily share and connect data, service coordination suffers and prevention efforts fall short.
This episode was designed for policymakers, funders, researchers, and community leaders who want practical guidance on developing data collaboration infrastructure to support coordinated services, inform policy and research, and strengthen youth homelessness prevention efforts.