I Count: York Region's 2018 Homeless Count

From April 17 to 20, 2018, The Regional Municipality of York (The Region), community partners, agencies and citizen volunteers participated in the first Region led homeless count, I Count, I’m not just a number (I Count), and the second homeless count in York Region. The findings will inform service system delivery, help target investments to get ahead of the number of people experiencing homelessness, and shed light on the needs and barriers facing residents. I Count was part of the first Ontario-wide effort to better understanding homelessness. All 47 Service Managers across Ontario led a count in their communities in 2018. I Count was mandated by the Province of Ontario, under the Housing Services Act, 2011 each Service Manager is required to conduct homeless counts every two years. I Count also met federal requirements under the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, which similarly requires Community Entities to conduct a Point-In-Time count every two years. The Homelessness Partnering Strategy is a federal community-based homeless strategy aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness. Community Entities are the community bodies entrusted by the federal government to administer the funding streams and strategies designed to address local homeless issues. In York Region, United Way Greater Toronto is the Community Entity responsible for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy

Publication Date: 
2019