Everyone Counts. City seeks volunteers to measure homelessness in Hamilton

HAMILTON, ON - The City of Hamilton is looking for approximately 150 volunteers to participate in Everyone Counts 2020: the third nationally Coordinated Point-in-Time Count of homelessness in Canada. Referred to locally as the Point in Time Connection, the initiative will take place April 19 to 23, 2020. The City is once again working alongside Hamilton’s Indigenous Community in the planning and implementation of this initiative through a direct partnership with the Coalition of Hamilton Indigenous Leadership.

Information gathered from the Point in Time Connection will highlight housing, health and social needs to work toward connecting participants to the right types and levels of supports within the community. It will also continue to inform local homelessness policy and practices so that homelessness is prevented whenever possible and is otherwise a rare, brief and non-reoccurring experience.

“Understanding and responding to the current health, social and housing needs of people experiencing homelessness in our community is a key priority for the City of Hamilton. The Point-in-Time Count ensures we account for everyone while providing accurate information on how the City is moving the dial on ending homelessness in Hamilton.”

Mayor Fred Eisenberger

Training will be provided to volunteers in order to survey individuals experiencing homelessness throughout the City of Hamilton, which includes those staying in shelters, temporary housing, transitional housing and those in unsheltered locations. Each survey team will include volunteers from the Indigenous community, with the goal of providing Indigenous respondents the option to complete surveys with Indigenous volunteers.

Survey results from the 2020 Point in Time Connection will be shared publicly as part of a Community Debrief taking place in June 2020.

The deadline to register as a volunteer is Friday, March 6. The volunteer application form is available at www.hamilton.ca/pointintime.

Quick Facts

• A Point-in-Time Count is intended to identify how many people in a community experience homelessness at any given time – it is not an exhaustive count. Through the accompanying survey, the initiative provides information on the demographics and service needs of the local population experiencing homelessness.
• The 2020 Point-in-Time Count is directed by the Federal Government through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada.
• All communities receiving Reaching Home funding are required by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to participate in Everyone Counts 2020: Coordinated Point-in-Time Count of homelessness in Canada.
• Survey results from Hamilton’s 2016 and 2018 Point-in-Time initiatives are available here: www.hamilton.ca/pointintime