A Point in Time (PiT) Homeless Count is set to take place in Red Deer on the evening of Thursday, October 10. The PiT Count helps identify the nature and extent of homelessness, marking The City’s sixth count since 2012.
Coordination occurs at federal, provincial, and local levels. Nationally, core standards are established to capture a snapshot of homelessness across Canada. Provincially, the 7 Cities on Housing and Homelessness (7 Cities) collaborate on key elements of the count to allow for comparability among cities. At the local level, The City of Red Deer leads planning efforts and works closely with community partners to adapt the process to local needs.
“In the last PiT Count in 2022, local agency and outreach staff played a key role in the PiT Count, and we saw great success,” said Jodi Kelloway, Acting Superintendent, Social Wellness & Integration Supports. “This year, we’re again collaborating with local agencies and the homeless-serving sector to conduct the street count and surveys in shelters, transitional housing, and urban encampments. We’re also excited to include Red Deer Polytechnic Social Work Diploma students as part of our specialized unsheltered community teams for the first time since the pandemic.”
These combined efforts will provide valuable insights into homelessness trends and help target solutions.
“The count gives us a snapshot of our homeless population, allowing us to track changes over time,” added Kelloway. “By working with community partners, we can enhance housing programs and services, helping to measure our progress in reducing chronic homelessness.”
For more information, visit reddeer.ca/PITCount.