Cathy Crowe

Cathy Crowe, RN (born ca. 1951) is a Canadian nurse and social activist, specializing in advocacy for the homeless in Canada.

Raised in Kingston, Ontario, she has won fame as a "street nurse" working with homeless and poor populations in downtown Toronto, Ontario, and as an activist for housing, public health and social justice.

In 1998, she co-founded the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee.

Crowe was the subject of Street Nurse, a documentary film (ca. 2002) by Shelley Saywell.

She has a forthcoming book, Dying for a Home: Homeless Activists Speak Out, that will be published with Between the Lines in March, 2007.

Dying for a Home
Crowe's Dying for a Home: Homeless Activists Speak Out is a first-hand account of Canadian homelessness, and the practical steps needed to address the problem. Drawing from 17 years of experience, Crowe's book brings together the voices of ten homeless activists advocating for change. In so doing, they clear "homelessness" of its negative stereotypes and endow the word with alternate qualities, such as bravery, courage, charisma, and intelligence.

Dying for a Home advocates the 1% solution: each level of government should commit an additional 1% of their budget towards affordable, social housing.

Degrees and Awards

 * Diploma in Nursing, Toronto General Hospital
 * Bachelor of Applied Arts in nursing, Ryerson Polytechnic Institute, 1985
 * Master of Education in sociology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 1992
 * Doctor of Science in Nursing (honoris causa), University of Victoria, 2001
 * Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), McMaster University, 2005
 * International Nursing Ethics Award, 2003
 * Economic Justice Award, Atkinson Charitable Foundation, 2004