Bruce County discovering ways to help the homeless

Homelessness is a problem that has been steadily growing in Canada since the 1980s. It is often ‘hidden’ in rural areas where people experiencing homelessness ‘couch surf’ with friends or relatives, or move to nearby cities in the hope of finding appropriate services.

Bruce County warden Paul Eagleson has announced that in an effort to determine the rural needs and ensure that local services can be established locally to help residents, a Homelessness Enumeration program is set to occur in partnership with Grey County.

The homelessness enumeration will take place from Monday, April 23, to Friday, April 27. The information obtained will be used to determine the needs of the individuals so that adequate, cost-effective services can be established in the region.

The enumeration program is being funded under the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI). CHPI has received funding support from the Ontario Ministry of Housing.

“Bruce County is part of an effort by the Ontario government to end chronic homelessness throughout the province by 2025,” says county chief administrative officer Kelley Coulter. “The enumeration will take place at several key ‘hub sites’ in Bruce County, where people who are homeless will be asked to provide information about their current living situation”.

Staff volunteers will ask service users to voluntarily fill out a 15-minute questionnaire. The information gathered will be used to create a profile of the homelessness population in Bruce County.

Hub sites will be located in:
 

• Kincardine
• Wiarton,
• Saugeen Shores,
• Walkerton