We were so proud to help administer qathet Region’s first ever Homeless Count last month!
We worked with the Homelessness Services Association of BC (HSABC) to run this “point in time” count, which aims to provide a snapshot of housing needs in the community. The Homeless Count aims to identify the number of people who are unconventionally housed, and/or don’t have a place to pay rent – which includes people who are couch-surging, sleeping in cars, camping, or accessing emergency shelters.
On April 17th, three HSABC staff, along with our staff, Tla’amin Health and Housing, and other community partners were out in the community visiting known congregation and camping sites. We also set up drop-by tables at the Powell River Public Library, the Community Resource Centre, and the Ajimet Harm Reduction Circle, where people could drop by to take a survey about their housing situation.
The surveys we collected included demographic questions, and information about how people lost their housing, which will be helpful to refine community services to make sure they are meeting our community’s unique needs. The official results will be released by HSABC this fall, as part of a report that has data from all 29 homeless counts across the province.
This was a great first go at what we expect to be an annual event, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with people and hear about their housing needs! We expect the results to validate what we already know about housing