City Partners with Service Providers to Complete Point-In-Time Count

Under the Federal Reaching Home Funding Agreement, communities are required to participate in a coordinated Point-In-Time (PIT) count of homelessness. 

The count has two primary purposes:

•    To identify how many people in a community experience homelessness at one point in time. Conducted over subsequent years, PIT counts can be used by the community to track progress in reducing homelessness. 
•    Through an accompanying survey, the PIT count gives the community information on the demographics and service needs of their homeless population. This information can be used to target community resources where they are most needed. 

On October 8, 2024, the City of Greater Sudbury partnered with Indigenous and community service providers to complete a one-night Point-in-Time count. Shelter, transitional housing, client navigators and outreach staff conducted surveys with people who are staying in an emergency shelter, domestic violence shelter, transitional housing, encampment, on the street or are couch surfing. The City also partnered with Health Sciences North and the Sudbury Jail to obtain a count of individuals staying in hospital or jail with no fixed address.

In addition, N’Swakamok Native Friendship Centre and Sudbury Youth Wellness Hub held magnet events to connect with Indigenous individuals and youth experiencing homelessness.

While the 24-hour enumeration was held from 6 p.m. on October 8 to 6 p.m. October 9, surveys will continue to be completed for one week.
The unofficial number of people who were counted as experiencing homelessness on the night of October 8 is 500. The previous PIT count held in October 2021 identified 399 people experiencing homelessness. 

The data from the surveys will be reviewed and a full report will be released to the public in early 2025. The results of the PIT count will be reported to the federal government and will contribute to the understanding of homelessness across Canada. The results will also be reported publicly to the community with specific efforts made to communicate the findings to those who work in the housing and homelessness sector. Finally, local leadership will use these results in systems planning and resource allocation to address the service needs of people experiencing homelessness.