In an effort to gauge the effectiveness of services for those experiencing homelessness in the region, the City of Victoria is partnering with advocacy groups to conduct its second Point in Time Count to see just how many people live without permanent housing.
From 11 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. on March 15, a team of volunteers () will hit the ground, heading to places where people gather, such as doorways, certain parks and abandoned buildings, as well as shelters, including those specifically for women fleeing domestic abuse.
Victoria Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe, spokesperson for the count, sits on the board for the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness and the Regional Homelessness Task Force.
The misconception that all homeless people suffer from mental illness or addiction issues only permeates stereotypes, she says, like the myth that homeless people come to Victoria because itB次元官网网址檚 a forgiving climate in which to live on the streets.
B次元官网网址淭hey came for jobs, or for love or school and something happened,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淎nd now theyB次元官网网址檙e experiencing homelessness.B次元官网网址�
Community Social Planning Council is recruiting volunteers to take part in
B次元官网网址� Volunteer Victoria (@volvicbc)
the survey/count of people experiencing homelessness - March 15th. Volunteers are required to attend a training session. To apply go to or contact Betty@volunteervictoria.bc.ca
The count B次元官网网址� funded by the federal government through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy B次元官网网址� uses a methodology created at the Canadian Institute for Substance Research Use at the University of Victoria, for cities across the country to conduct such counts.
Thornton-Joe says this ensures the information is as accurate and consistent as possible, alleviating error in counting people twice or visiting the same area more than once.
The count also includes a survey, to make sure the team is interacting in a way that is respectful and asking the right questions.
B次元官网网址淧eople [want] to tell their story, to talk about why theyB次元官网网址檙e homeless and what they need to no longer be homeless,B次元官网网址� she says.
In February 2016, the region counted 1,387 people who were experiencing sheltered or non-sheltered homelessness. Thornton-Joe expects this yearB次元官网网址檚 number to be similar, despite the root cause of homelessness shifting over the past five years.
B次元官网网址淭he amount of working poor has increased,B次元官网网址� she explains, pointing to the number of seniors and families living in their cars. B次元官网网址淚 hear a lot of people say, B次元官网网址業B次元官网网址檓 working, my spouse is working, we just canB次元官网网址檛 get into anything, thereB次元官网网址檚 nothing to rent.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
The information garnered from the count will inform multiple levels of government as to how best direct funding and services to tackle the challenge of getting people into permanent homes B次元官网网址� an arguably more responsible use of taxpayer money, Thornton-Joe says.
B次元官网网址淭he most important thing to always remember is that when we looked at the evidence, it costs less to solve the problem than to manage the problem.B次元官网网址�
ThereB次元官网网址檚 still time to volunteer to help out
If youB次元官网网址檇 like to be a part of the Point in Time Count as a volunteer, go to surveymonkey.com/r/2018PiTEveryoneCounts and fill out the online application form.
