More Than a Number: 2016 Greater Victoria Point in Time Count Summary Report

The 2016 Greater Victoria Point in Time Count (PiT Count) provides an estimate of the extent of homelessness as well as a snapshot of some of the needs of those who are homeless in our region on a single night. The last count and needs assessment was completed through the 2007 Homeless Needs Survey conducted by Victoria Cool Aid Society and the Community Social Planning Council. Starting in 2011, the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, in collaboration with Centre for Addictions Research of BC and Community Social Planning Council, have conducted an annual Facility Count that estimates the number of people staying in emergency shelters and temporary accommodations in the capital region. Successive annual counts have allowed for year-over-year comparisons to help understand our community’s progress towards ending homelessness in the region. In addition to these “point-in-time” estimates, a yearly estimate of the number of unique individuals experiencing homelessness with at least one stay in an emergency shelter is conducted annually using data from the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS). The 2016 PiT Count was funded through the federal Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) and involved the collaboration of 30 HPS funded communities across Canada. These 30 HPS funded communities conducted PiT Counts within the first four months of 2016 to apply a national lens to the issue of homelessness across Canada.

Publication Date: 
2016
Location: 
Victoria, B.C.