Regina – A point-in-time homeless count back in May found 232 people in Regina don’t have a regular place to sleep.
Over 150 volunteers from 34 different organizations pulled together under the leadership of the YMCA of Regina to try and put a number on our homeless.
A point-in-time count, or PIT Count, sees volunteers hit the streets and shelters to tally and interview the homeless in order to get a better understanding of what the barriers to housing are, and in turn how social programs could help.
The preliminary break down shows the majority, 54 per cent, were staying in an emergency shelter, 26 per cent were staying in transitional housing, 12 per cent were sleeping and living on the street, and just under 7 per cent were in public detox centres.
The demographics on the 232 people is interesting to note as well. Over half, 64 per cent, the counted homeless were men, 75 per cent were Aboriginal, 36 per cent were children under the age of 18.
The PIT Count was commissioned by Regina’s Community Advisory Board for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, who will allocate nearly a million dollars of Federal funding for homelessness initiatives in Regina in each of the next 3 years
Regina’s YMCA will be briefing media Wednesday on what they think these numbers mean, how they compare to other cities our size, and what they’ll do with the information.
Comments