11 Quebec communities to participate in national homelessness survey

Eleven communities across Quebecwill be participating in a homelessness survey this month, in an effort to gather up-to-date numbers on the homeless population and its demographics.

Theproject ispart of a Canada-wide initiativecalledEveryone Counts 2018,in which 61 communities will count the number of homeless people who live there.

The Montrealsurvey, called I CountMTL2018,will cover a larger territory than the first one, conducted in 2015.

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Participating Quebec communities include:

• Gatineau.
• Montrgie(Longueuil, Sorel, Saint-Hyacinthe, Valleyfield).
• Sherbrooke.
• Laval.
• Lanaudire (Terrebonne, Repentigny, Joliette).
• Saint-Jrme.
• Drummondville.
• Trois-Rivires.
• Qubec.
• Chaudire-Appalaches (Lvis, Thetford Mines).
• Saguenay.

Organizers in Montreal are hoping to recruit 1,200 volunteers to canvasstreets, parks and parts of the underground city.

During Montreal's first homelessness survey, conducted over several days in March 2015, a total of 3,016 homeless people in the city were counted, 76 per cent of whom were men.

• Montreal Homelessness Count finds 3,016 homeless people in city

The 2015 count did not account for the "hidden homeless,"people livingin rooming houses, staying with others, in hotels or motels, or couch surfing with no fixed addresses.

Addressing the problem

The city has mandated that the count be overseen by theDouglas Hospital Research Centreteam, led by Eric Latimer, aMcGillUniversity professor andresearcher whoworked on the 2015 survey.

He told CBC's Homerun that information gathered last time helped policymakers know where to divert funding in order to help those most in need.

"They found a relatively large number of people who were sleeping outside and that those people were not using shelters, but were using day centres," he said. "

Latimersaid that by creating a clear picture of what the province's homeless population looks like and what services they need, it gives a better idea of how to address the issue.

He cited the example of Medicine Hat, Alta., where they famously eliminated homelessnessseveral years ago, saying that data-gathering was an important part of the effort.

• Medicine Hat becomes the first city in Canada to eliminate homelessness

"They could tell they were making progress via a count," he explained.