Point-In-Time Count Confirms Growth in Homelessness Stopped Since 10 Year Plan Implemented

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Feb. 20, 2014) -

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The Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) announced that 3,533 people were counted as homeless on January 15, 2014, compared with 3,190 people in January 2012, 3,576 people in August 2012 and 3,601 people in 2008. Before the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness in Calgary (10 Year Plan) was implemented in 2008, the count number rose about 35% every two years. If this same trend continued, this year's count would have seen 8,804 people homeless. Since the 10 Year Plan began, about 5,000 people were housed with support.

"As Calgary's population grows, so do many public systems such as schools, hospitals and transit systems," said Gerrad Oishi, interim President and CEO, CHF. "Given this reality and the affordable housing crisis, that there are fewer people homeless than in 2008 is remarkable."

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"The data we are getting from this count, shelters and programs shows Calgary's homeless-serving system is working: it just needs to be scaled for size," said Oishi.

The count was sponsored by Burnet, Duckworth and Palmer LLP. Counts are one day snapshots of homelessness that capture numbers and basic demographics of people staying in emergency shelters, short-term supportive housing (STSH), jails, hospitals, addictions treatment facilities and on the streets.

The CHF will compare this year's findings with previous reports to determine trends and changes in demographics, number of people experiencing homelessness, etc. The following is a brief overview compared with the two counts in 2012 and the count in 2008. A final report will be released in the spring.

PIT Counts	May 2008	Jan. 2012	Aug. 2012	Jan. 2014
Emergency Shelter	1,512	1,715	1,703	1,892
Short-Term Supportive Housing1	1,224	1,260	1,351	1,224
System Homeless2	296	151	189	202
Rough Sleepers	569	64	333	215
Total	3,6013	3,190	3,576	3,533

1. Short-term supportive housing is time-limited housing with support and includes addictions treatment facilities and facilities providing shelter/housing for domestic violence victims.
2. Systems homeless are those in various institutions, such as correctional facilities and hospitals.
3. The original number in 2008 was 4,060; the CHF reclassified 459 short-term supportive housing beds as permanent supportive housing beds, therefore the reclassified count number for 2008 is 3,601.

A backgrounder on the count can be found here.

The CHF leads implementation of Calgary's 10 Year Plan with agencies, the private sector, government, the faith community, other foundations and all Calgarians to end homelessness in Calgary once and for all. For more information, visit calgaryhomeless.com.