Published on August 23, 2021 by TimminsToday
A one-day initiative is giving insight into people who are experiencing homelessness in the region.
This Wednesday, a point-in-time (PiT) count is being done for the first time across the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB).
In March, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing issued a directive for service managers to do a point-in-time count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless people on a single night to capture numbers and basic demographics of the people affected at a single point in time. In Northern Ontario, the directive is being completed by the social services administration board.
Along with the PiT count, CDSSAB director of housing services Andrew Blomberg said a by-names list of people experiencing homelessness is also being created.
The ongoing, real-time list of people experiencing homelessness will be used to help connect people to housing options and support services, and create better co-ordination of services, he said.
“A successful PiT count will allow the community to provide a snapshot of the homeless throughout the district. It will help identify the characteristics and the needs of the local population. The information will help to enhance and plan and program development, it will also help us measure our progress towards ending homelessness. It’ll increase public awareness of homelessness and it will enhance our ability to test the effectiveness of our programs and interventions aimed at ending homelessness,” he said.
