Benjamin Owens

I am a PhD student in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto. My research lies at the juncture between labour geography and youth homelessness prevention, exploring the work experiences of unhoused youth in Toronto and the ways employment precarity and housing (in)stability intersect in broader precarious life arrangements. This work builds on my years as a researcher in the youth homelessness sector, where I played a leadership role in a variety of participatory and community-engaged projects on harm reduction and youth homelessness prevention.

Publications

Mills, S., & Owens, B. (2023). Customer Abuse and Aggression as Labour Control Among LGBT Workers in Low-Wage Services. Work, Employment and Society, 37(3), 776–793. https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170211045843

Owens B, Mills S, Lewis N, Guta A (2022) Work-related stressors and mental health among LGBTQ workers: Results from a cross-sectional survey. PLOS ONE 17(10): e0275771. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275771

Noble A, Owens B, Thulien N, Suleiman A (2022) “I feel like I’m in a revolving door, and COVID has made it spin a lot faster”: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth experiencing homelessness in Toronto, Canada. PLOS ONE 17(8): e0273502. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273502

Supervisor 

Dr. Deborah Leslie

Cohort

2023-2024