The number of people experiencing homelessness in Fort McMurray has increased in two years.
A Point-In-Time (PIT) Homeless Count was conducted on April 11, preliminary numbers indicate that approximately 200 people are experiencing homelessness in the RMWB.
“The Point-in-Time count is one of the essential tools used to highlight the progress with the plan to end homelessness,” said Kimberly Snow, supervisor, Neighbourhood and Community Development. “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.”
That number is a significant increase from the last count in 2016 that determined 90 people were homeless.
The RMWB said in a press release that multiple factors attributed to the low number in 2016 including the time of year, methodology used and slow re-entry after the Horse River Wildfire.
The municipality entered into a 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness in 2010, the seven year update they released goals that include education, change management, prevention, re-housing and providing supports.
Provincially, 5,735 people were determined to be experiencing homelessness.
