The Point-in-Time (PiT) Counts are a community-level measure of sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on one particular day. The results provide an estimate of the number of people experiencing homelessness on the day of the count. In addition, the results also tell us about certain demographic and health characteristics of people experiencing homelessness as well as some of the challenges to find housing. Point-in-Time count results are used to monitor changes in time and help inform service planning and program development. Point-in-Time Counts are done in a coordinated way across Canada, the results from each community help contribute to building a national picture of homelessness.
A PiT Count is one of several tools communities can use to understand the scope and extent of experiences of homelessness locally.
What do we mean by 'Homelessness'? Experiences of homelessness are different for everyone. Some people are experiencing unsheltered homelessness, others are staying in emergency or domestic violence shelters or staying in temporary housing situations. Hidden homelessness, sometimes called "couch surfing", refers to when individuals who do not have their own housing are staying with family or friends.
The Wellington-Guelph Everyone Counts survey is an anonymous and voluntary survey completed with individuals experiencing homelessness. Wellington-Guelph 2024 Everyone Counts was planned and carried out with community service agencies that make up the Wellington-Guelph Housing Stability System. The 2024 count took place over two days in Guelph and over three days in Wellington County with a total of 53 staff from 15 agencies participating. Teams completed the survey of individuals experiencing homelessness at designated headquarters, community agencies, and various outdoor locations, including encampments. Royal City Mission served as the headquarters in downtown Guelph, while the Social Services offices in Fergus acted as the County’s headquarters. A unique identifier was integrated into the survey allowing staff to identify and count individuals experiencing homelessness who did not complete the survey and were known to be staying in emergency or domestic violence shelters on October 23, 2024. The unique identifier was used to ensure no one was counted more than once. It is important to emphasize that we still are not capturing the full extent of homelessness in our community.
A dedicated Indigenous outreach strategy was developed in partnership with Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) which resulted in a magnet event, held one afternoon at the Hope House location in downtown Guelph. The Wellington-Guelph Indigenous Housing Outreach Worker and other Indigenous staff/volunteers were available to complete the survey in a culturally safe space with Indigenous individuals experiencing homelessness.
Youth specific and County specific community partners collaborated to develop targeted outreach strategies to reach youth and County residents experiencing homelessness. In addition, planning efforts also focused on dedicated teams of volunteers who reached out to individuals not accessing emergency shelters.
Trained teams of volunteers who work in the Wellington-Guelph homeless serving system were deployed across Wellington County and Guelph in shifts over two-days, including early morning and overnight time-slots. The schedule covered diverse locations from emergency shelters, drop-ins; street outreach and known encampment areas in order to provide the greatest possibility of reaching as many individuals experiencing homelessness as possible (sheltered and unsheltered). Staff/volunteers completed surveys alongside participants using a new secure online option or pencil and paper. Staff/volunteers were also able to complete surveys with clients on-site and remotely via telephone.
In addition to the Everyone Counts enumeration survey, participants were invited to complete a second survey, a needs assessment survey known as the VI-SPDAT (Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool). Participants who complete the VI-SPDAT are added to the Guelph-Wellington By-Name-Data (BND) which helps to connect them to services. Participation in both surveys was completely voluntary and, informed consent was sought for each survey separately. As a token of appreciation, participants were given a gift card.
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Results of Wellington-Guelph 2024 Everyone Counts
The 2024 results include 227 individuals who completed the survey + 7 dependent children, and 101 individuals identified through administrative data (including 7 families with 16 dependent children) bringing the total to 335 individuals experiencing homelessness.
335 is the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness in Wellington-Guelph on October 23, 2024. Click for an infographic breakdown of all the results.
Results from Point-in-Time count enumeration activities like Wellington-Guelph 2024 Everyone Counts are an opportunity for learning – for service providers to better understand the experiences and needs of individuals in their community who are experiencing homelessness.
By sharing the information collected, we can raise the public’s awareness of the extent of homelessness locally. The results of the Wellington-Guelph 2024 Everyone Counts is the starting point for conversations, collaborations and renewed commitment to prevent and end homelessness.
The results of the Wellington-Guelph 2024 Everyone Counts enumeration survey will be used to inform service planning; program development; to refine existing services. The information collected will help improve programs and services for people experiencing homelessness by directing resources to where they are most needed and to connect people to services and supports to help them achieve stable housing.
The results will also be used to help fulfill provincial and federal reporting requirements. By completing provincial and national mandates to complete Point-in-Time Counts, our local survey results contribute to snapshots of homelessness both across Ontario and nationally.
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Why is the County involved?
The 2024 Wellington-Guelph (W-G) enumeration of homelessness was part of a coordinated Canada-wide count of sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night that is part of Reaching Home, Canada's National Strategy to End Homelessness.
The County of Wellington is the designated Community Entity for Reaching Home initiatives in Wellington-Guelph and is tasked with carrying out the Point-in-Time Count enumeration and survey in collaboration with community partners for the Wellington-Guelph area.
Who else is involved?
The 2024 Point-in-Time Count was carried out collaboratively with community partners and the County of Wellington. We would like to take a moment to thank everyone who helped to plan and carry out the Wellington-Guelph 2024 Everyone Counts enumeration survey in Wellington County and Guelph: Canadian Mental Health Association; Waterloo Wellington (CMHAWW); Community Resource Centre of Centre and North Wellington (CRC); East Wellington Community Services (EWCS); Family & Children’s Services of Guelph & Wellington County; Guelph Community Health Centre (GCHC); Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination (GWPTF); Royal City Mission; Rural Wellington Community Team; Thresholds, Traverse Independence, Salvation Army; Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC); Stepping Stone; Stonehenge; Women in Crisis; and Wyndham House.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A Point-in-Time (PiT) Count is a strategy used to estimate the extent of homelessness in a community by providing a “snapshot” of homelessness at a particular point in time. The results of Point-in-Time counts provide important information about those individuals experiencing homelessness who staff/volunteers were able to connect with and, who chose to participate by completing a survey.
The results from PiT counts can help the service manager and community partners identify gaps, areas where service improvements can be made to catch individuals and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness who may not be connected to services.
The results of PiT counts depend on many factors such as the thoroughness of the methods, participation of stakeholders – even the weather can influence the results! It is well known that for any Point-in-Time count, it is impossible to reach everyone in a given community who is experiencing homelessness. For example, individuals experiencing hidden homelessness (e.g., couch surfing) and individuals who are not connected to homeless-serving agencies are less likely to be counted.
For all these reasons, results of Point-in-Time count cannot provide an exact or complete count must be interpreted as an estimate of the minimum number of persons experiencing homelessness in a given community.
A PiT Count is one of several tools/strategies communities can use to understand the scope and extent of homelessness locally. Some of the other strategies used in the Guelph-Wellington homeless serving system include monitoring of shelter use statistics, prevention and housing stability programmes; as well as integrated health support programmes. In addition, the adoption of a coordinated entry system (CES) and the By-Name-Data (BND) provide real-time data that is monitored continually.
Each of these strategies offer important and unique information about the extent of homelessness in our community as well as insights about the needs of those experiencing homelessness. Ongoing monitoring of many different streams of information allow County of Wellington Housing Services and community partners to develop a more comprehensive picture of homelessness in Guelph-Wellington - valuable data that can be used to plan responsive services and supports to better meet the needs and, to better advocate for system improvements and additional funding.
A By-Name-Data (BND) is a real-time list of all people experiencing homelessness in Guelph-Wellington. The BND helps service providers prioritize need, track the status changes as individuals and families move in and out of homelessness and inform action as we move towards ending chronic homelessness in our community.
The BND is managed by the County of Wellington and is an important part of the Guelph-Wellington Coordinated Entry System (CES). The Guelph-Wellington CES was implemented in early 2017 with the goal to improve coordination and service delivery by providing a consistent approach to understanding the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness. Learn more about the Guelph-Wellington CES and BND.
The BND shows the number of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness as well as the number of individuals moving into and out of homelessness. The BND numbers fluctuate as people move in and out of homelessness.
Information gathered through the BND that helps us understand who is coming into the homelessness system (inflow) and who is being housed and leaving the system (outflow). Tracking inflow/outflow and actively homeless in our community helps us measure progress towards ending chronic homelessness.
Adults, youth and families experience chronic homelessness when they have been homeless for at least 6 months.
Unsheltered: Individuals and families are considered unsheltered when they are living on the streets or staying in places not intended for human habitation (e.g., in a bus shelter, abandoned building, vehicle, makeshift shelter, group tenting, in an encampment)
Emergency Sheltered: Individuals and families are considered emergency sheltered when they stay in an emergency homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter or in a motel when they stay is funded by a service agency.
Temporarily Sheltered: Individuals and families are considered temporarily sheltered when they are staying with friends or family (couch surfing); staying in a hospital, treatment centre, incarcerated (jail, prison, remand centre) or staying in a motel when they stay is self-funded.
Only individuals and families experiencing homelessness on the night of the count (October 20th 2021) were eligible to participate in the Guelph-Wellington 2021 Everyone Counts survey. Individuals and families at risk of experiencing homelessness who were not eligible.
The following community agencies and organizations helped to plan and carry out the Guelph-Wellington 2021 Everyone Counts survey: Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Waterloo Wellington; Community Resource Centre of Centre and North Wellington (CRA); County of Wellington; East Wellington Community Services (EWCS); Family & Children’s Services of Guelph & Wellington County; Guelph Community Health Centre (GCHC); Guelph Police Service; Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination (GWPTF); Hope House; Royal City Mission; Rural Wellington Community Team; Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC); Stepping Stone; Stonehenge; Women in Crisis; and Wyndham House.
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