With winter approaching, initiative aims to count number of homeless Edmontonians

A not-for-profit enactment that works to extremity homelessness successful Edmonton volition pb an inaugural successful Alberta’s superior connected Thursday to effort to number however galore radical successful the metropolis are presently experiencing houselessness.

Homeward Trust Edmonton’s “Point-in-Time” (PiT) number volition statesman Thursday day and spot hundreds of unit and volunteers survey the city’s colonisation that is experiencing homelessness. In May, the enactment estimated that astir 3,200 radical successful Edmonton were experiencing homelessness.

The PiT number has taken spot successful Edmonton since 1999. In 2006, the City of Edmonton implemented a 10-year program to extremity homelessness that importantly reduced the fig of radical surviving connected the streets. However, stateless advocates accidental the fig of radical experiencing homelessness began to emergence successful 2017 and doubled implicit the people of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The PiT number and survey supply captious data, which on with different information sources similar the By Name List, provides a much implicit representation of the authorities of Edmonton homelessness,” Susan McGee, the CEO of Homeward Trust Edmonton, said successful a quality release.

“Each idiosyncratic experiencing homelessness is unique, and the number allows america to amended recognize the radical involved, and pass our readying and responses based connected need.”

This year’s PiT number volition beryllium the 4th nationally-co-ordinated PiT count, funded successful portion by the national government’s homelessness strategy program. Homeward Trust Edmonton said much than 60 communities crossed Canada are doing PiT counts successful 2024.

In Alberta, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo volition besides bash counts. The Calgary Homeless Foundation volition beryllium progressive successful that city’s PiT count.

“We are committed to supporting those struggling with homelessness and ensuring that everyone has a harmless and affordable spot to telephone home,” national Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Sean Fraser said.

“Understanding the scope of these issues enables america to code them, which is wherefore the PiT number is truthful vital.”

Those taking portion successful the inaugural volition assistance instrumentality a “street number and voluntary survey.” Homeward Trust Edmonton said Thursday’s inaugural volition see a ocular number successful the city’s greenish spaces and ravines, and that the number volition see occupancy information from shelters and transitional lodging gathered implicit a 24-hour period.

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“It is important to recognize the PiT number is not a census oregon nonstop fig of radical experiencing homelessness,” Homeward Trust Edmonton said, noting immoderate radical are experiencing “hidden homelessness” that is hard to way similar radical who are sofa surfing.

In July, Edmonton metropolis assembly voted to o.k. a question enactment guardant by Coun. Andrew Knack calling for the metropolis to enactment with the provincial authorities connected a modulation strategy for lodging and homelessness services that are funded by the metropolis but autumn nether provincial jurisdiction.

Knack told Global News that 302 radical died connected the streets of Edmonton successful 2023, a important leap from 37 deaths reported successful 2019. He said metropolis assembly has funded millions of dollars worthy of patchwork solutions to homelessness. He said astir of those bash not autumn nether the city’s jurisdiction, but the enactment is not being coordinated with the province.

After that vote, a spokesperson for Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver said if the metropolis provides an itemized database of programs oregon services for which it wants provincial funding, the authorities would reappraisal it and sermon the inquire with metropolis officials.

In July, Homeward Trust Edmonton said betwixt 1,400 and 1,700 supportive lodging units were needed to code the existent authorities of homelessness successful Edmonton.