A 24-hour survey of Greater Victoria residents facing housing insecurity returns this spring.
On March 26, trained volunteers will spend 24 hours gathering information on individuals staying in shelters, short-term housing and sleeping rough, or without shelter. The point-in-time count and survey provides a snapshot of homelessness in the region and information to help understand the needs of residents experiencing homelessness.
Funded through the federal government, previous surveys were done in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2023.
While the data gathered allows organizers to look at trends over time, it is not comparable year-over-year.
The information B次元官网网址� released later in a detailed review and report B次元官网网址� is one tool to help inform plans for both short and long term solutions to meet the needs of the unhoused.
The latest count and needs survey, held in March 2023, found at least 1,665 individuals without permanent housing and 765 completed homeless needs surveys.
Of those counted, 601 individuals were in transitional housing; 282 in emergency shelters; 410 in public systems such as corrections or hospital; 242 unsheltered, 85 couch surfing and 45 in an unknown sleeping location.
Youth aged 14 to 24 made up 7.7 per cent of respondents, though the report noted the younger demographic is difficult to reach as they are more likely to be in hidden homelessness. Of youth survey respondents, 35.6 per cent were unsheltered, 8.5 per cent were emergency sheltered and more than half were provisionally accommodated.
In the survey, 67.4 per cent of respondents identified being homeless for more than six months of the prior year B次元官网网址� identified as chronically homeless B次元官网网址� down from 82 per cent in the 2020 survey.
The $134,096 budget for the project is funded through the Reaching Home: CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Homelessness Strategy, a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. It supports goals of the national housing strategy to support vulnerable Canadians in maintaining safe, stable and affordable housing and to reduce chronic homelessness nationally by 50 per cent by fiscal year 2027 to 2028.
The Community and Social Planning Council with support from the Capital Regional District conducts its bi-annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count and Survey with Volunteer Victoria as a partner in recruitment, training and logistics. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Lisa Mort-Putland at .
