This step-by-step document has been developed by the Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) for rural communities across Canada that wish to accurately estimate the number of homeless individuals in their community. ARDN is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the wellbeing of rural communities. Please visit our website www.ardn.ca for more information about ARDN and its mission.

This guide was first published in 2017 and was based on a review of the Homelessness Partnering Strategy’s Coordinated Point-in-Time Count (HPS PiT) Guide in Canada, case studies published on the Homeless Hub, as well as counts and estimations conducted in Cape Breton (Nova Scotia), Leduc County (Alberta), and rural communities in South Carolina (USA). This guide reflects input from a review committee comprised of front-line service providers, academics, members of advocacy groups, and government representatives from rural communities, including Indigenous communities, across Canada.

This is the 2nd edition of the guide and the survey questions and guidelines have been updated based on the learnings and feedback from the rural communities that utilized the first edition of the guide to conduct rural homelessness estimations. ARDN intends to continue updating the guide every two years based on further feedback from rural communities that conduct homelessness estimations using this guide.