On November 12 – 14 Prince George took part in a nationally-coordinated effort, directed by the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home program, to measure homelessness in Canada.
Led by the Prince George Nechako Aboriginal Employment and Training Association, along with community partners, the count identified a minimum of 206 individuals experiencing absolute homelessness on the night of November 12, including 72 staying outdoors or in encampments and 134 in emergency shelters.
Individuals were surveyed in 10 agencies, including shelters, transitional housing facilities and drop-in centres. From 6 p.m. November 12 to 2 a.m., November 13, outreach workers surveyed individuals in outdoor locations, such as sidewalks and other public places. The surveys were completed with a total of 28 surveyors. Also, to accurately get a number of those experiencing absolute homelessness on the night of November 12th, organizations provided enumeration systems data for overnight stays in shelters.
It is very tempting to look for the one figure – that of how many individuals experience homelessness in our community. However, this figure will always be an under-representation of the real numbers due to a variety of factors. There are hidden homeless in every community. These can be individuals that may be staying temporarily with friends or family, patients in hospitals, those who are incarcerated, at locations that were not found, or just simply declining to take part in the Point-in-Time survey.
There were many results that were similar to findings from previous PiT Counts.
Similar survey findings include:
- High number self-identified as being Indigenous – 75 per cent
- Number who were previously in foster care – 42 per cent
- Age distribution – median age 41, ranged from 15 to 72.
- Age first homeless – very similar to previous Counts with about 46 per cent stating they were under 25
- Similar length of time in PG – about 25 per cent have always lived here.
- Source of income – government benefits
- Top challenges finding housing include cost, discrimination and addiction as barriers to finding housing.
What is different:
- Minimum number experiencing absolute homelessness increased to 206. This is a notable increase from 133 in 2018 and 163 in 2021. This is despite a significant increase in social, supportive housing.
- 31 per cent of survey respondents indicated they were spending the night outdoors unsheltered in a public space. This is a notable increase from 13 per cent in 2021 and 16 per cent in 2018.
For more information:
Everyone Counts: A GUIDE TO POINT-IN-TIME COUNTS IN CANADA and the PiT Count Toolkit both of which are available through https://homelessnesslearninghub.ca/library/resources/