1.6 million - that's the staggering number of Canadians who have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. The survey, commissioned by the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) and conducted by Nanos Research, suggests five per cent of Canadians have been homeless themselves, while another 31 per cent know someone who has been homeless. CTV National News' Heather Wright reports on those hardest hit. You can also tap the link for our online article on the survey: ctv.news/anJg

This young homeless girl has been hardened by living on the streets of Toronto .