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On October 9, the City of Grande Prairie is taking part in a coordinated effort to measure homelessness across Alberta and Canada as part of the annual Everyone Counts: Point in Time (PiT) Count of homelessness.
The count tracks homelessness in many forms including people staying in emergency shelters, short-term housing and more to improve understanding of the needs and circumstances of the people who are affected by homelessness in the community.
The findings are used alongside insights and information provided by local partners and community organizations that work to address housing and homelessness needs year-round. Results are used to provide an evidence-based approach to ongoing programming, policy and advocacy that supports housing and homelessness initiatives.
The purpose of a PiT Count is:
- An enumeration or count of people experiencing homelessness:
It is intended to identify how many people in a community experience sheltered or unsheltered homelessness on a specific day. - An opportunity to learn more about experiences of homelessness
The PiT Count collects information on the experiences and needs of people experiencing homelessness. This information can be used to target community resources where they are most needed and helps to shape provincial and federal policies.
The purpose of a PiT count is not intended to be:
- A complete measure of everyone who experiences homelessness in a community:
By focusing on a single day, the count will not include some people who cycle in and out of homelessness, or who were not using emergency services. The count will also not include the majority of people who are in unsafe, unstable, temporary or informal housing, and experiencing “hidden” homelessness. Grande Prairie has other complimentary measures that speak to the scale of homelessness over time.
“The PiT Count is a critical component of the City’s housing and homelessness response,” said City of Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton. “Participating with the 7 Cities Network to conduct the count allows us to gather on-the-ground details about the current status of homelessness in our city, so we can develop targeted responses to best suit our community’s needs.”
From 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Point in Time Count staff will canvass neighbourhoods throughout the city while wearing high visibility safety vests and ID badges. Staff will engage everyone they meet in conversation on housing and homelessness and ask those who are experiencing homelessness to take a brief survey.
Participating in the PiT Count is a collaboration with many communities across Canada and Alberta. Grande Prairie’s findings will be used in broader policy development, creating a strengthened local, provincial, and national approach to ending homelessness.
The results from Grande Prairie’s 2024 PiT Count will be released publicly once the report is completed, tentatively scheduled for early 2025.
Information provided by City of GP