Homelessness up nearly 62 percent in the area

Homelessness has increased by nearly 62 percent in the area in two years.

The stats are in from a Point in Time count of homelessness in Nipissing District, including North Bay, Mattawa and West Nipissing.

Over a 24 hour period in March a total of 293 people were counted as being homeless.

That’s up from 182 in the previous count done in 2018.

The objective of the Everyone Counts – Nipissing District initiative, overseen by the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DNSSAB), was to gather demographic, numerical, and community need information on the District’s homeless population in order to more accurately understand the issues facing homeless individuals in the District. This initiative was funded by the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home Strategy.

“These surveys provide us with an important snapshot of what is going on in our district so that we can better support the needs of homeless individuals,” says DNSSAB Chair, Mark King. “This information is even more valuable now during the pandemic where managing homelessness is becoming more critical.”

Among the 293 people counted/surveyed, the following homelessness categories included:
– 72 people Emergency/VAW sheltered (administrative count).
– 10 people transitionally housed (administrative count).
– 91 people counted as homeless in public institutions with no fixed address.
– 68 people surveyed as hidden homeless.
– 7 people surveyed as unsheltered (public space, vehicle, abandoned building, etc.).
– 12 people surveyed as unsure of where they are staying but with no fixed address.
– 33 dependent children counted or surveyed as homeless by their parent/guardian.

Of 254 individuals who completed the survey, the demographic background of participants included:
– 67% identified as male and 32% identified as female (99%)
– 42% of participants identified as Indigenous
– 59% of participants experienced their first time homeless before the age of 25.
– 27% of participants identified as being in the child welfare system (foster care, adoption, group home etc.)
– 83% of participants were single adults
– 70% of participants had a source of income that was social assistance (OW/ODSP)

Survey participants also responded to questions that identified their community need: In the last 12 months:
– 22% of survey participants had been hospitalized,
– 56% had experienced interactions with police
– 39% had spent 1+ days in jail/prison.

Top two reasons for housing loss:
– Addiction/substance use (21%)
– Incarceration (19%)

Top three barriers to finding housing
– Low income (57%)
– Discrimination and stigma (56%)
– Addiction/substance use (52%)

Other stats include:
– 57% of participants identified as having mental health challenges.
– 74% of participants identified as having substance abuse challenges.
– 50% of participants were identified as chronically homelessness (6 months or more of homelessness in the past year)
– 18% of participants were identified as episodically homeless (having experienced 3 or more different instances of homelessness over the past year)

Nipissing was one of the few districts able to complete the PiT count before the forced cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(File photo by station staff)