Furniture Poverty
A house without furniture isn’t a home. It’s empty and cold and a miserable place to be.
At Furniture Bank, we are working to create communities where we all belong – and create a world where everyone has the dignity of a furnished home.
What is furniture poverty?
When someone doesn’t have the means to procure a bed, or a table, or a couch, or other home essentials, they are living in furniture poverty.
Without a bed, children sleep on piles of clothes on the floor.
Without a table, families eat their meals on milk crates.
Empty housing is not a home.
Furniture poverty has devastating effects on mental and physical health, and often results in people returning to crisis.
There are harmful physical, emotional, and financial consequences of furniture poverty.
- Furniture Insecurity: A household has the items they need for now. If something essential breaks or needs replacing, they do not have the means to do so. These households are often moving from one crisis to another.
- Furniture Destitution: Where a household has none or very few of the basic items needed. In a long-term, chronic situation.
Who we support
Furniture Bank supports families and individuals experiencing furniture poverty, including women and children leaving shelters, people transitioning from homelessness, and newcomers and refugees to Canada.
In 2022, we supported 5,558 individuals, and 2,588 families across the Greater Toronto Area, with many more furniture pieces delivered across Canada through the Furniture Bank Network.
DEMOGRAPHICS | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL Individuals supported | 7,758 | 10,733 | 10,035 | 9,773 | 9,410 | 5,484 | 4,216 |
| TOTAL Families supported | 3,254 | 3,996 | 3,927 | 3,670 | 3,800 | 2,341 | 2,143 |
| ADULTS | 4,906 | 6,830 | 6,646 | 5,692 | 5,910 | 3,434 | 2,894 |
| CHILDREN | 2,853 | 3,897 | 3,831 | 3,942 | 3,514 | 2,046 | 1,322 |
| WOMEN | 4,102 | 5,526 | 5,449 | 5,765 | 5,629 | 2,892 | 2,224 |
