A recent survey by the District of Nipissing Social Services reveals some concerning numbers regarding the number of homeless in the North Bay area.
A March survey done by the agency shows that 293 individuals were counted as homeless.
These are the results of a Point in Time (PiT) enumeration of homelessness in the Nipissing District, which included the municipalities of North Bay, Mattawa, and West Nipissing.
In the previous PiT count in 2018, 182 people were counted over a four-day period.
Using these figures, the homelessness count has increased by nearly 62 per cent.
The objective of the Everyone Counts - Nipissing District initiative, overseen by the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DNSSAB), was to gather demographic, numerical, and community needs information on the District’s homeless population in order to more accurately understand the issues facing homeless individuals in the District.
This initiative was funded by the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home Strategy.
“These surveys provide us with an important snapshot of what is going on in our district so that we can better support the needs of homeless individuals,” says DNSSAB Chair, Mark King in a release.
“This information is even more valuable now during the pandemic where managing homelessness is becoming more critical,”
It is important to note that Nipissing was one of the few districts able to complete the PiT count before the forced cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thanks go to the seven local organizations that are members of the Nipissing District Housing and Homelessness Partnership (NDHHP) and volunteered to sit on a Committee to support this enumeration of homelessness from planning through to execution of the survey.
