Niagara to get a count on its homeless population
Volunteers needed to scour parks, alleys, abandoned buildings
Niagara Region is turning to the public to get a better handle on how many homeless people live in the peninsula and what their needs are.
Niagara Counts 2020 will take place March 25. About 200 people are needed to head out into the streets, parks, abandoned buildings, alleyways, shelters, parked vehicles and transitional housing sites.
They will ask the vulnerable individuals they encounter to answer survey questions about their plight.
People who are considered “absolute” homeless are those who are living outside or in emergency shelters. “Hidden” homeless are those who stay with others and are known to be “couch surfers,” said the Re
gion’s director of homelessness services, Cathy Cousins.
There are 60 communities in Canada participating. It is a requirement to receive federal funding for homelessness programming, said Cousins. Niagara received $958,596 last year.
In 2018, contact was made with 625 homeless people in Niagara, close to 150 of them being children under the age of 14.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it will be a little bit higher,” Cousins said Tuesday about the upcoming count. “We always know it’s an incomplete count because it’s one evening and you’re never going to find everybody.”
Volunteers will be trained on safety issues and the various questions they will ask when they come in contact with someone. They will travel in groups of three.
With only 87 people offering their time to count in 2018, Cousins expects having close to 200 volunteers will result in a more accurate number.
Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland are expected to be primary sites, but smaller municipalities will likely see people walking the streets to help, too.
“We’re still completing the mapping right now on where else we’re anticipating we will need to count.”
During the 2018 count, “family breakdown” was the No. 1 reason why people said they were homeless. Financial strain and job loss was second, with addiction and substance abuse problems noted as the third-largest factor.
Goals of the count include increasing public awareness about homelessness and enhancing the Region’s ability to test the effectiveness of programs and services aimed at ending homelessness.
To register as a volunteer, visit Niagara Region’s website.
A 2.5-hour training session is required, taking place on six dates, starting March 11.