New ‘point-in-time’ count brings homelessness in Canada into sharper focus

OTTAWA – New numbers are showing for the first time the depth of the homelessness problem in 28 small and medium-sized Canadian communities, and clarifying the picture in four larger cities.

The federal government has released highlights from the so-called “point-in-time” counts conducted in 32 cities last year, which found nearly 6,000 people living in shelters, on the street or in transitional facilities.

The count also found that indigenous people are over-represented in the homeless population, and shows that veterans are more likely to experience homelessness for longer stretches of time.

The report says those findings, along with information about the number of families and newcomers to Canada, point to a need for more targeted supports for these groups.

Homeless veterans made up nearly five per cent of those counted, and the data show respondents who identified as indigenous were nine times more likely to be homeless than non-indigenous.

Volunteers and local officials also found that four per cent of those counted were a recent immigrant or refugee to Canada, with females in this category more than twice as likely than non-immigrants to cite domestic abuse as a reason.