Saint John’s 5th Homelessness Report Card displays data from 2013, when 338 individuals relied on emergency shelters for safety and warmth. The number was nearly identical to the 341 individuals served in 2012.

The shelter numbers for Saint John are from the city’s three emergency shelters—the Salvation Army, Coverdale and Out of the Cold. According to 2013 data, one in five shelter users in the city is a youth under the age of 24.

The numbers do not include the young women who stayed at First Steps, the women who accessed any of the three Violence Against Women (VAW) transition homes in the region, individuals who are sleeping rough (on the streets, in parks), or people who are “hidden homeless” (couch surfing, living in cars/abandoned buildings, or staying in a dangerous situation for lack of other options).