Square One Community Inc. is proceeding with a Point-in-Time (PiT) Count of Moose Jaw’s unhoused population, said PiT co-ordinator Desiree LaLonde, restarting a process that began several months ago.
On August 26, 2023, Square One Community Inc. (Square One), LaLonde, and volunteers from the community will carry out a PiT count using a model standardized across many major cities in Canada, including Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert.
Trained volunteers will count and survey individuals staying in shelters, living without shelter, and those with provisional accommodations, often called the ‘hidden homeless’ because whatever accommodations they have are not permanent, safe and/or reliable.
“Our PiT Count will provide a ‘snapshot’ of homelessness in Moose Jaw,” Square One said in a media release. “It will indicate the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness in our community. Other forms of homelessness, such as staying temporarily with friends (provisionally accommodated), are not typically included in a PiT Count.
“However, thanks to the work and support of Dr. Isobel M. Findlay from the Community-University Institute for Social Research (CUISR) and her team, our count will include those with provisional accommodations. Our PiT Count will improve our understanding of the needs and circumstances of the people affected by homelessness in our community.”
Square One is a non-profit with a mandate of reducing homelessness in Moose Jaw. They are currently dedicated to developing a women’s shelter at William Milne Place on Fairford Street. The shelter will also include a warming/cooling space and a community program to improve the basic, practical life skills of Square One clients.
The survey portion of the count will provide Square One with key data on gender, age, ethnicity, veteran status, and more. It will seek to identify the contributing factors and challenges that homeless individuals face — including, but not limited to, potential gaps in service.
Lastly, a brief pan-community survey will attempt to establish the general population’s understanding of homelessness in Moose Jaw and of the services available for those experiencing homelessness in Moose Jaw.
Community members who participate in that part of the count/survey will have a chance to give their input on addressing homelessness in their community.
Results from the PiT Count will be made publicly available, LaLonde said. The results of the PiT Count will improve Square One’s response to homelessness, such as determining where resources are best allocated.
However, the count will likely be valuable beyond just Square One, as has been demonstrated in other municipalities. In most cities, emergency services are familiar with unhoused individuals because they come into frequent contact with them — but they do not count or track such individuals because of privacy concerns.
Regular public PiT counts, therefore, give leaders, administrators, and officials useful statistics for their area, including vital information on whether the number of unhoused people is going down or up.
In the future, successive counts will measure progress toward Square One’s ultimate goal of ending homelessness in Moose Jaw.
To volunteer with Square One’s PiT Count, contact Desiree LaLonde at mjpitcount@gmail.com, or by phone at 306-630-2702.
A comprehensive guide to PiT Counts is available from homelesshub.ca/solutions/monitoring-progress/point-time-counts.
