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

A not-for-profit organization that works to end homelessness in Edmonton will lead an initiative in Alberta’s capital on Thursday to try to count how many people in the city are currently experiencing houselessness.

Homeward Trust Edmonton’s “Point-in-Time” (PiT) count will begin Thursday afternoon and see hundreds of staff and volunteers survey the city’s population that is experiencing homelessness. In May, the organization estimated that about 3,200 people in Edmonton were experiencing homelessness.

The PiT count has taken place in Edmonton since 1999. In 2006, the City of Edmonton implemented a 10-year plan to end homelessness that significantly reduced the number of people living on the streets. However, homeless advocates say the number of people experiencing homelessness began to rise in 2017 and doubled over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The PiT count and survey provide vital data, which along with other data sources like the By Name List, provides a more complete picture of the state of Edmonton homelessness,” Susan McGee, the CEO of Homeward Trust Edmonton, said in a news release.

“Each person experiencing homelessness is unique, and the count allows us to better understand the people involved, and inform our planning and responses based on need.”

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This year’s PiT count will be the fourth nationally-co-ordinated PiT count, funded in part by the federal government’s homelessness strategy program. Homeward Trust Edmonton said more than 60 communities across Canada are doing PiT counts in 2024.

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In Alberta, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo will also do counts. The Calgary Homeless Foundation will be involved in that city’s PiT count.

“We are committed to supporting those struggling with homelessness and ensuring that everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home,” federal Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Sean Fraser said.

“Understanding the scope of these issues enables us to address them, which is why the PiT count is so vital.”

Those taking part in the initiative will help take a “street count and voluntary survey.” Homeward Trust Edmonton said Thursday’s initiative will include a visual count in the city’s green spaces and ravines, and that the count will include occupancy data from shelters and transitional housing gathered over a 24-hour period.

“It is important to understand the PiT count is not a census or exact number of people experiencing homelessness,” Homeward Trust Edmonton said, noting some people are experiencing “hidden homelessness” that is difficult to track like people who are couch surfing.

In July, Edmonton city council voted to approve a motion put forward by Coun. Andrew Knack calling for the city to work with the provincial government on a transition strategy for housing and homelessness services that are funded by the city but fall under provincial jurisdiction.

Knack told Global News that 302 people died on the streets of Edmonton in 2023, a significant jump from 37 deaths reported in 2019. He said city council has funded millions of dollars worth of patchwork solutions to homelessness. He said most of those do not fall under the city’s jurisdiction, but the work is not being coordinated with the province.

After that vote, a spokesperson for Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver said if the city provides an itemized list of programs or services for which it wants provincial funding, the government would review it and discuss the ask with city officials.

In July, Homeward Trust Edmonton said between 1,400 and 1,700 supportive housing units were needed to address the current state of homelessness in Edmonton.

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