The Government of Canada, in partnership with 30 communities across Canada, is leading the first broadly coordinated Point-in-Time (PiT) Count of homelessness

This year, the Government of Canada, in partnership with 30 communities across Canada, is leading the first broadly coordinated Point-in-Time (PiT) Count of homelessness.

Participating communities are following a common methodology. Between January 1 and April 30, they will select a 24-hour period during which they will survey and enumerate all of the individuals in their community who are, at that time, sleeping in shelters, on the streets, and in other public locations.

The PiT Count survey will provide vital information to participating communities about their homeless population, helping to identify their needs and plan their resources accordingly. The information collected will also contribute to the Government of Canada’s ongoing work in combatting homelessness, and will guide the development of a broader strategy to help ensure that all communities have the opportunity to be part of nationally coordinated PiT Count.

Through the Point-in-Time Count, communities across Canada will gain a better understanding of homelessness and will develop the necessary supports where they are most needed. I am pleased that the Government of Canada is actively participating in this collaborative effort in finding solutions to help Canadians lift themselves out of poverty. — Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Participation by Nanaimo Homeless Coalition

On February 9, 2016, the Nanaimo Homeless Coalition, in association with United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island (UWCNVI) and volunteers from the community, conducted a Point-in-Time (PiT) Homeless Count to get an idea of the homeless population in Nanaimo.

With full support of the Nanaimo Homeless Coalition we were able to conduct an accurate count to reflect the minimum amount of homeless individuals in Nanaimo. Our results so far are consistent with themes from local counts in previous years: as predicted, we saw more men than women experiencing homelessness. — Courtney Defriend, Nanaimo PiT count coordinator

Tim Manson speaks with CHEK News on February 9, 2016, during a report about the Nanaimo Point-in-Time homelessness count.

A number of non-profit organizations, the Nanaimo RCMP bike team and shelters worked together to count the minimum number of homeless people within a 24-hour period; 175 surveys were completed. The surveys consisted of 24 questions. Out of the 175 people surveyed, 69% were male, 30% female and 1% transgender. The Homeless Coalition is currently gathering the results from the surveys and will provide more details once the data has been analyzed.

While our community has been working hard to put in place supports and housing for those experiencing homelessness in Nanaimo, the results of these surveys indicate we have more to do. The initial results from the survey would suggest we need to work harder at creating housing options for homeless people in Nanaimo. — John Horn, Social Planner at the City of Nanaimo and Co-Chair of the Nanaimo Homeless Coalition

We speak with Jesse Donaldson, national Point-in-Time Count coordinator, and with John Horn, City of Nanaimo social planner.

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audio | Jesse Donaldson @homelesshub & John Horn @cityofnanaimo #homeless #pointintime https://t.co/NxGKAyCj6D pic.twitter.com/DXrBgLxULI

— People First Radio (@peoplefirstrad) March 4, 2016

Quick facts and background

• The first nationally coordinated Point-in-Time Count is an initiative that takes place under the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS)
• The HPS is a community-based program that aims at preventing and reducing homelessness by providing help and financial support to 61 urban communities, as well as Aboriginal and rural and remote communities across Canada, to help them address their local homelessness needs.
• This will be the first PiT Count coordinated in communities across the country, using a common methodology.
• Since the launch of HPS, more than 82,000 Canadians who were homeless or at risk of homelessness have received help to secure more stable housing; over 35,000 have benefitted from education and training opportunities; over 34,000 have received help to find work; and almost 6,000 new shelter beds have been created.

Point-in-time Count

A Point-in-Time (PiT) count is managed through the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS), in partnership with communities across Canada and other key entities.

A PiT Count is a method used to measure sheltered and unsheltered homelessness. It aims to enumerate individuals in a community who are, at a given time, staying in shelters or “sleeping rough” (e.g., on the street, in parks), providing a “snapshot” of homelessness in a community. PiT counts include a survey that can provide communities with information on the characteristics of their homeless population (e.g., age, gender, Veteran status, Aboriginal identity).

This information can be used by communities to direct resources to areas of greatest need, and to connect individuals with specific backgrounds to targeted supports to help them achieve stable housing. When completed in subsequent years, it can also be used to track changes in the homeless population over time and measure progress in reducing it.

In Quebec, the HPS is administered through a formal agreement that respects the jurisdiction and priorities of both governments in addressing homelessness. Ongoing discussions with Quebec will determine the recommended strategy to encourage future participation in a nationally coordinated PiT Count by communities in the province.

Homelessness Partnering Strategy

The Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness by providing direct support and funding to communities across Canada. The Government of Canada announced nearly $600 million over five years (2014-19) starting in April 2014 to renew and refocus the HPS using a Housing First approach.

Housing First

Housing First is an initiative under the HPS which primarily involves moving individuals who are chronically or episodically homeless from the streets or homeless shelters directly into permanent housing. Permanent housing is complemented by the provision of services to assist clients to sustain their housing and work towards recovery and reintegration into the community. The implementation of Housing First is being phased in, taking into account varying capacities and resources among communities.

Communities retain flexibility to invest in other proven approaches that complement Housing First. The federal government continue to work in partnership with provinces and territories, communities, the private sector and other stakeholders to reduce homelessness.