Homelessness Data

The City of Greater Sudbury has updated how it reports homelessness data. The biggest change is that the total number of individuals identified as experiencing homelessness is now higher. The increase reflects a more complete picture of who is interacting with local services.

Until now, the City tracked information in an Excel spreadsheet that included only people who consented to be on the prioritized By Name List. Monthly figures were based solely on who appeared on that list on the final day of each month, leaving out many individuals who had contact with the homelessness serving sector.

With the move to the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS), the City can now collect by name data for everyone who interacts with the system. A prioritization list still exists within HIFIS, but because completing the assessment is optional, it will no longer be used for monthly reporting.

Monthly reporting will instead rely on the Communities Outcome Report (COR) in HIFIS, which measures homelessness at a systems level. It tracks the number of people actively experiencing homelessness at any point during the month, along with inflows, outflows and trends among specific groups. The COR uses a standardized method that improves data quality and consistency. All communities receiving federal Reaching Home funding must adopt this reporting approach by March 31, 2026.

For more information about HIFIS, read the HIFIS Tool for Understanding Homelessness.

For more information about the COR, read the Community Outcomes Report.