By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
117 identified as homeless in 2021, 79 in previous 2018 study
HALDIMAND — Haldimand Norfolk Homeless Prevention Services (HPS) has presented their annual homelessness enumeration report for 2021, which highlighted the two counties’ homeless population through a targeted, two-day long enumeration process. The study identified 117 individuals experiencing homelessness across Haldimand and Norfolk, which is significantly higher than the 79 identified in the last enumeration conducted in 2018.
HPS utilized a Point in Time (PIT) count method for collecting data, with the goal of providing a “snapshot of the population experiencing homelessness on one day of the year. The objective is to capture numbers and anonymous basic demographics of people experiencing homelessness,” said HPS employee and enumeration co-ordinator Nicole Wagenaar.
The survey took place on November 17-18, 2021: “The goal was to determine where participants slept on the night of November 17.”
Wagenaar continued, “The data is collected by volunteer canvassers who physically locate and collect survey data from people experiencing homelessness. Surveys are also carried out at emergency shelters, service agencies, and magnet events.”
Wagenaar said there are no hard and fast rules on how to do an enumeration, so HPS can “kind of do what fits for us. Being a rural area, our enumeration will look a lot different than Hamilton or Kitchener, where there is one major city centre where you can host one magnet event. We have multiple towns we need to capture.”
She provided some specifics on the scope of the enumeration, saying HPS focuses on the unsheltered, the emergency sheltered, and the provisionally sheltered portions of the local homeless population.
Wagenaar said it is impossible to find everyone in need of assistance, explaining, “The folks we’re commonly working with are the people who are imminently house-able, they are engaged in services and have provided consent. We know their name, who they are, and they want to find housing or look for housing.”
She added, “The hardest group for us to capture are those who are provisionally sheltered, especially those who are staying in multiple homes. We were able to reach out to correctional facilities, or to those who may be dealing with people in that system – detox facilities, mental health facilities…. We were able to connect with those community partners, however we can’t contact every homeowner to see if they have somebody who is couch-surfing or staying in their homes.”
Other local agencies who helped with the enumeration process by providing leads include police, paramedics, parole and probation offices, Haldimand-Norfolk Women’s Services, and volunteers with the Salvation Army in both Dunnville and Simcoe.
Overall, the enumeration process identified 117 people as experiencing homelessness over the two-day period.
Coming up with that number required the HPS team to visit 45% of the population area in Norfolk and 46% of the population area in Haldimand, well above the Ministry requirement of 30% coverage.
“We did well considering the large area we have to cover with a small team and population,” said Wagenaar.
Of those results, 62% of the homeless population was classified as ‘hidden homeless’, meaning they do not have a home, but have provisional accommodation with lodging through other avenues, such as staying with friends/family, jail, or treatment centres. Meanwhile, 20% were listed as fully homeless and 16% were in emergency shelter.
The enumeration provides some clarity on what is driving the issue of homelessness locally, with 35% of participants listing financial troubles as the reason for their situation, 24% listing substance abuse, and 14% indicating their homelessness was the result of an eviction or their rental property being sold.
“For demographics, the average age for people who first experienced homelessness was 31. The average age of those currently experiencing homelessness was 40,” said Wagenaar.
With this data in hand, Wagenaar touched on some of the ways to move toward ending homelessness in Haldimand and Norfolk.
“Number one is housing supply. There must be enough housing for residents of Haldimand Norfolk of all income levels in our local communities,” said Wagenaar, who also mentioned adequate supports for successful housing stability, and lastly, access to support services as crucial.
For anyone in the community at risk of homelessness or currently experiencing it, HPS offers a number of resources. To reach their community intake line, call 905-318-6623 ext. 3134. To speak with a Housing Resource Co-ordinator, use ext. 3234 or 3235, and to speak with their Community Legal Clinic for free legal advice and assistance, call 1-888-341-5021.
