Karen O’Shannacery

Karen O’Shannacery (born 1950) is a Canadian homeless advocate. She is the former executive director of the Lookout Emergency Aid Society in Vancouver and co-founder of the BC Shelter Network.

Early life O’Shannacery was born in 1950 in Vancouver, British Columbia. At the age of 14, she ran away from her home in Richmond to escape her violent, alcoholic father and general poverty. After staying at various friends' houses in her hometown, she hitchhiked to numerous cities including Toronto and San Francisco. As a youth living on the street, she became involved in drugs and the sex trade industry to find suitable living accommodations.

When O’Shannacery returned to Vancouver, she lived in the Downtown Eastside due to their affordable housing and made money selling copies of The Georgia Straight. As she was a minor, O’Shannacery was determined to avoid detection by law enforcement and picked up tips for survival from other youth on the street. She earned enough money selling drugs and The Georgia Straight to buy her own apartment and have her brother move in with her. Using a six-month grant from the government, O’Shannacery and a co-worker hired six men and women to work with them and used the remaining money to rent a room every night at the Patricia Hotel.

In 2006, O’Shannacery co-founded the BC Shelter Network. A few years later, O’Shannacery received the Order of British Columbia for her dedication to homeless advocacy. In 2014, O’Shannacery announced her retirement from the Lookout Emergency Aid Society after 43 years. At the time of her retirement, the Lookout Emergency Aid Society was providing homes, transitional housing, and shelters for over 900 people. During the same year, O’Shannacery received the British Columbia Civic Merit Award.

As president of The Society To End Homelessness In Burnaby, she oversaw the establishment of the first building for the homeless in Burnaby in 2019. The $10-million project would ensure 52 people had access to adequate shelter and aid inside the three-storey modular building. O’Shannacery was also named to the National Advisory Committee on Homelessness in 2019.

Personal life O’Shannacery is married to Mike Landiek and they have one child together.