‘Out there suffering’: Regina updating homeless numbers with ‘PIT count’

As wintertime is conscionable astir the country successful Regina, the treatment astir homelessness is ramping up.

The metropolis is presently moving to fig retired however galore stateless radical determination are successful the Queen City. On Tuesday nighttime astir 100 volunteers helped with the 4th yearly Point successful Time oregon PIT count.

The number takes spot crossed Canada and paints a representation of what homelessness mightiness look similar successful that peculiar clip and place.

The number identifies the minimum fig of radical who are unhoused, sleeping unsmooth oregon accessing short-term oregon transitional housing.

“It’s an accidental for america to stitchery information that we tin springiness to the national authorities and past they usage that information to assistance them marque a determination connected however overmuch backing to springiness to communities crossed Canada,” said Robert Byers, the president and CEO of Namerind Housing Corporation, who helped with the count.

The PIT number takes spot each 3 years. In 2021, Regina identified 488 individuals experiencing homelessness.

Byers hopes the 2024 information volition beryllium calculated earlier Christmas. And volition the numbers beryllium higher? Byers said it is hard to say.

“Homelessness has truly conscionable blown up close crossed Canada and successful Regina,” helium said. “It’s a antithetic satellite retired there.

“These radical are retired determination suffering. This is the lowest constituent successful their lives, and we each truly conscionable person to say, ‘What tin we bash to help?’”

Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said the PIT number is precise invaluable for knowing the contented of stateless successful the city.

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“That information that comes backmost successful is unbelievably invaluable erstwhile it comes to readying and advocating and knowing however to support going with what it is we’ve been capable to physique implicit the past 4 years,” Masters said.

During the evening count, volunteers encouraged radical to be a assemblage services lawsuit truthful those surviving connected the thoroughfare could link and larn much astir housing, wellness and nutrient programs disposable to them.

Along with receiving vaccines, those successful attendance were offered haircuts escaped of charge.

“It means a batch to beryllium here,” hairdresser Hanna D’Andren said. “I deliberation we instrumentality for granted each the mundane things similar haircuts. You benignant of hide that not everyone tin ever spend it. So it’s bully and it feels bully to springiness back.”

Regina metropolis assembly precocious voted to o.k. a imperishable structure successful the Queen City. The structure volition beryllium located astatine 1600 Halifax St., the existent location of the Eagles Club.

The Halifax Street determination volition outgo astir $2.6 cardinal to acquisition and astir $3 cardinal to renovate.