Homeless count defended
City stands by point-in-time survey amid criticism it won't provide accurate picture
Meagan Leonard
Northern News Services
Thursday, April 30, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The city stands by its decision to complete a point-in-time homeless count in May despite skepticism about the accuracy and value of information to be collected.
Linda Bussey, deputy mayor: "When we know who our population is, the population that's already homeless or at risk we're able to develop programs and services tailored to their needs." - NNSL file photo
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The survey is set to be conducted at two locations by city staff and volunteers will determine details related to homeless residents by asking those who drop by about where they will be sleeping that night, how many people they live with and how long they have been in their situation.
Deputy mayor Linda Bussey says the event will take a "magnet" approach with lunch and live music provided in hope of attracting as many people as possible.
"We want to capture everyone ... we're looking at people who are probably living in shelters right now or on the streets, in over-crowded apartments or even couch surfing," she said.
Bussey says the data will be released in June and used to inform the Housing First program, soon to be implemented in the city. Already rolled out successfully in seven Alberta communities, the focus of Housing First is on rehabilitation - finding people a permanent home and ensuring they have the tools to be successful in it. Support generally lasts a year, providing time to deal with mental and physical health and addictions issues.
"The success of Housing First is to be able to offer programs and services tailored to the people who will be using it," she said. "This data will really allow us to identify trends and key issues related to homelessness."
Others are more skeptical about the success and accuracy of point-in-time counts. Lydia Bardak, executive director of the Yellowknife John Howard Society, says the shelters have been required to conduct counts since their establishment but those numbers have not brought about much change.
"Individuals have been in emergency shelters for decades so it's hard to see what the emergency is - it's actually become de facto housing," said Bardak.
"Counting those individuals hasn't changed anything in policy so I don't know what would be different in the future."
The GNWT does not collect homeless statistics, but a 2009 report card on homelessness by the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition shows that in 2008 936 people experienced homelessness at some point during the year. The report breaks down those numbers by gender and age-group.
But the data does not include an estimation of how many residents are staying with family or couch surfing with friends, and Bardak says there may be no easy way to get that information.
"Many would have far too much pride and dignity to step up and say 'Yeah, that's me,'" she said, adding many youth feel as long as they have a place to go they are not technically homeless.
"Initially they would not consider themselves homeless because somebody always lets them stay at their place ... I'm not sure if the people they are trying to find are actually going to come forward."
Bussey says she acknowledges the availability of shelter information, but says the count will be focusing on those who fall into the grey areas - where it is harder to provide definitive statistics.
"I do understand that the shelters do know who their clients are but as we mentioned not everybody goes to the shelters," Bussey explained. "There's good information out there, I totally support that, but we're going to have more information and it's going to be updated information."
While she is excited to see the Housing First program come to the city, Bardak feels the count is an unnecessary step and thinking of the problem in terms of numbers is in itself counter-productive.
"We're not talking about cars on an assembly line that we can count the production - the increase and decrease and then make modifications to the plant," she said. "We're talking about human lives and that isn't easily measurable."
The count will take place May 13 between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the parking lot on the corner of 50th Street and Franklin Ave, as well as the flag pole in front of the Co-op on Old Airport Road. Those interested in volunteering are asked to contact the city.
