Homelessness in Sault Ste. Marie: 2016 Point-in-Time Count

The 2016 Sault Ste. Marie Point-in-Time Homelessness Count was designed by the Homelessness Hub and Homelessness Partnering Strategy to capture the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness in a community at a given time (February 18th, 2016 from 11:00am-1:00pm). The Canadian Homelessness Research Network (CHRN, 2012), had categorized the definition of homelessness to contain four major categories: (i) unsheltered, or absolutely homeless living on the streets or in places not intended for human habitation; (ii) emergency sheltered, including those staying in overnight shelters for people who are homeless, as well as shelters for those impacted by family violence; (iii) provisionally accommodated, referring to those whose accommodation is temporary or lacks security of tenure, and (iv) at risk of homelessness, referring to people who are not homeless, but whose current economic and/ or housing situation is precarious or does not meet public health and safety standards. Beyond this, an extension of these typologies is that of chronic homelessness, which is defined by the CHRN; as an individual or family with a disabling condition who has been continuously homeless for a year or more or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.
Our study was structured around collecting data that would reflect the minimum number of people living in Sault Ste. Marie that were experiencing homelessness. 

Publication Date: 
2016