In just a few days, the District of Nipissing Social Service Administration Board will once again undertake a count of homeless people.
DSSAB Chief Administration Officer Joe Bradbury, says the strategy to count homeless people is to see who stays at shelters and short-term housing as well as counting the number of people living on the street in known areas.
However Bradbury cautions the eventual number that’s arrived at is only a snapshot and is the absolute minimum because there are many other homeless people who remain hidden.
In 2016, the last time the board carried out its homeless count, a little more than 100 people were without shelter.
However Bradbury again says this is the absolute minimum.
Bradbury says in recent years the number of homeless people has grown and a big reason behind that is the rising cost of living.
“It’s all about safe and affordable housing,” Bradbury said.
“Having the data (on the number of homeless) lets us go back to the provincial and federal governments to say there’s a demand for services. And once there’s demand for the services, we can go back and get the resources that we need.”
Bradbury says work has been ongoing in Nipissing District to find accommodations for the homeless.
He says North Bay has seen the completion of some social housing buildings with another nearing completion and East Ferris also finished a social housing unit.
Bradbury says there have been more affordable housing projects going on in the District in just the last two years than the last 10 combined.
The four day homeless count begins next Monday.
