SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The number of homeless in the city is higher than previously reported, according to the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition.

The coalition revealed in their first homelessness report card that 110 more people were using shelters last year compared to numbers collected for a 2006 federal report when 826 people were found in need of a roof over their heads. The homelessness coalition's report states that 936 people in the city experienced homelessness at some point during 2008.

Lydia Bardak: City needs more transitional housing. - NNSL file photo

Those figures translate into 67,340 bed nights at shelters in 2008; the 2006 report put that number at 34,055. On average, 185 people sought shelter on a daily basis in 2008 even though only 142 spaces were available in the city, meaning shelters in the city are overcrowded.

Dayle Handy, homelessness coordinator for the city, said the numbers in the 2006 report, completed by the federal government may have been skewed, and have understated the seriousness of the problem. The 2006 report was completed using the Homelessness Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS), a federal government initiative to provide communities with data about homelessness, the same system used to complete the homelessness coalition's report card.

Handy said in some cases a room with six beds might be reserved for a family, but they may only use two beds while the other four will go unused. She also said the 2006 report might not represent overflow at the Salvation Army and the Centre for Northern Families.

"When they are at capacity they will actually take out extra mats and put them down on the kitchen floor or where there is space to keep people," she said. "This is very concerning."

City councillor Lydia Bardak said the latest numbers didn't surprise her much because she has been working with the issue of homelessness for some time and is pleased the latest report will now give perspective to the issue and what needs to be addressed.

"When I look at individuals who have been in shelter for more than 120 days and seeing 40 people, now we have the opportunity to examine what is going on with these people and what services they need," Bardak said, adding the 2006 numbers weren't as clear a picture as found in the coalition's report card due to redesign of the data system and incomplete information.

"It's inhumane for people to be staying that long in a shelter. It gives us an opportunity to examine what is lacking that leaves those people in that situation."

The coalition's report shows 41 people, 25 men and 16 women, and 39 families spent more than 121 days in an emergency shelter. Handy said the city is trying to increase the amount of transitional housing available in the city to get people who are staying extended periods of time at emergency shelters into more a more stable living environment.

"If we can get the people staying longer times out of the emergency shelters we can address the problem of overcrowding," she said.

"We feel there is enough emergency shelter available to deal with the need here."

Bardak said by providing more transitional housing, people will be less likely to fall into a rut.

"The longer someone falls into a shelter the less likely they are to return to healthy living," she said. "Making sure there is some place for them to go so we can minimize the time they spend in shelter so it doesn't become normal. We have the opportunity now to address that."