For the second time the province is conducting a Point-in-Time Homeless Count to gain an understanding of the reality of homelessness across Alberta in hopes of better planning to end it.
The RMWB will be participating in the count, which takes place on Wednesday, October 19.
“The Point in Time Count has been an essential tool in our plan to end homelessness,” said Casandra Baillargeon, Program Coordinator with Community Services. “It allows us to examine homelessness trends locally and across the province, as well as align funding resources to maximize the impact of our programming.”
The Point in Time Count is part of the 7 Cities on Housing and Homelessness initiative. The Municipality has been conducting homelessness surveys locally since 2006, and became part of the province-wide initiative in 2014.
The 2014 Count found 6,663 people experiencing homelessness in Alberta, with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo accounting for 294 of those people.
During the Count, volunteers will be walking in areas of Fort McMurray, stopping to speak with individuals and offer assistance if needed. Where possible, individuals counted are asked questions to get a better understanding of their situation, which helps provide tools for planning and improvements to services.
For more information, visit the Community Plan on Homelessness page at rmwb.ca/homelessness.
