A snapshot of homelessness in Nipissing will once again be taken this fall.
The District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board says the fifth homelessness Point-in-Time count will take place over 24 hours from October 9th to the 10th.
Individuals in emergency shelters, public institutions, and transitional housing who do not have a fixed address will be counted.
An anonymous survey will also take place across the district with individuals who are staying in shelters, transitional housing, couch surfing and sleeping without shelter.
Officials say the survey will help DSSAB better understand the demographics and service needs of the community.
“Even though this count is mandatory, the data gathered through this and previous counts has proved helpful, assisting DNSSAB to direct resources where they are needed, and to plan for the situation in our District,” says DNSSAB Chair, Mark King. “The stability offered by a safe and affordable home has been shown to affect every facet of someone’s life, from their health to employment to education – it is a necessity.”
Areas in Nipissing District, but outside of North Bay, will have up to seven days to complete surveys, given the nature of hidden homelessness and service delivery in rural communities.
Results of previous PiT counts can be found on the board’s open data portal, which is available on its website.
The last enumeration in 2021 saw 300 people counted and 213 surveys completed.
DNSSAB received federal funding to take part in the coordinated effort to measure homelessness across Canada.
