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Survey to provide a snapshot of homeless situation in Guelph and Wellington County

Results to be presented next week
homeless sleeping on street
Stock image

Volunteers are busy collecting data over the next few days that will provide a snapshot of the homeless situation in Guelph and Wellington County.

It will also, hopefully, help shape and improve services offered to that homeless population.

The Guelph-Wellington 2018 Point-in-Time Count sees over 100 volunteers canvassing the streets and local service agencies surveying families and individuals experiencing homelessness about their history of homelessness and housing, as well as questions related to their overall health and well being.

A similar survey was done in 2016 and identified 295 homeless people in Guelph and Wellington County, said Randalin Ellery, coordinator with the Guelph and Wellington Task Force For Poverty Elimination.

Homeless includes people living on the street, in shelters, outdoors, in cars and couch surfing, Ellery said.

She said she expects the number to be greater this time, in part due to improved data gathering strategy.

While it only provides a limited snapshot of homelessness in the area, it can lead to concrete changes, Ellery said.

“This is important work that informs referrals, resource allocation and needs for the homeless-serving system,” she said.

The 2016 count led to a coordinated entry system that used a common assessment tool that helped social service agencies match homeless people and families with the appropriate housing supports and services.

The Point In Time Count is taking place in Guelph from April 23 to April 25 and in Wellington County from April 23 to April 29.

“This is a good opportunity to update the data that we have and also create that snapshot of homelessness in our community,” Ellery said.

“People’s situations change pretty rapidly … it’s a good opportunity for them to refresh their info and also for us to get a good handle on what we’ve been tracking.

“If our numbers are way off what we thought, then we know we have a problem.”

The results of the Point-In-Time Count are scheduled to be released at a public event May 3 at 10C Shared Space.


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Tony Saxon

About the Author: Tony Saxon

Tony Saxon has had a rich and varied 30 year career as a journalist, an award winning correspondent, columnist, reporter, feature writer and photographer.
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