(City of Red Deer)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

334 Individuals

City of Red Deer releases Point in Time (PiT) homeless count numbers

Mar 9, 2023 | 3:18 PM

Results from Red Deer’s most recent Point in Time (PIT) Count show the number of persons experiencing homelessness in the city has increased to 334 in 2022 from 144 in 2018.

According to the City of Red Deer, of the 334 individuals,

• 29 per cent slept outside, which is an increase from 2018 at 13 per cent of the 144.
• Nearly 200 people were enumerated in local emergency shelters or transitional facilities in 2022, up from 86 in 2018.

Of the 334 people counted during the 2022 PiT Count, City officials say 156 individuals participated in the voluntary survey portion of the count. The City says the count and survey provide valuable information that helps The City and partnering organizations better understand factors contributing to homelessness and how to best target local supports.

“The survey showed us that lack of income was the most reported reason for housing loss, and the top barrier to finding new housing,” said Ryan Veldkamp, Social Wellness & Integration Supports Supervisor. “This further helps us understand how crucial housing affordability is to tackling the issue of homelessness in Red Deer.”

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City officials say the 2022 PIT count was conducted in shelters, on the streets, in the hospital and correctional facilities, and in transitional housing. Enumerators conducted the count in coordination with Alberta’s 7 Cities on Housing and Homelessness and with the federal government guidelines.

“Typically, the PiT Count is completed every other year; however, we had to delay the counts due to the pandemic,” said Veldkamp. “Over the past four years, outreach staff reported a rise in the number of people experiencing homelessness and the count and survey data confirmed their expectations.”

City officials note this was the fifth time the Point in Time Count has been conducted in Red Deer. The count is coordinated with communities across Canada and is funded by the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. Officials say the data collected is used to build an understanding of how the population changes over time and what their needs are so housing programs and support services can be improved.

For more information on the Point in Time Count, visit www.reddeer.ca/PITcount. To read the community housing and homelessness integrated plan or for more information visit www.reddeer.ca/homelessness.