More than 200 volunteers are needed to take part in a homeless count in Greater Victoria this February.
The federal government is co-ordinating the first national point-in-time homeless count. Volunteers across the country will use the same methods to build a better understanding of homelessness in Canada.
Participating communities are to conduct the count over one day before the end of April.
In B.C., counts will take place in Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Prince George, Nelson, Kelowna and Kamloops.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps called the countrywide count exciting, but said she doesn’t expect it will uncover any surprises in the region.
“It’s good to do, but the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness spent 2 1/2 years doing research and we know there are 367 to 400 units [of supportive housing] needed,” she said.
“What it will probably give us is even more impetus to get the housing built. I don’t think we’ll find anything new. But it’s awareness as much as anything else.”
Greater Victoria is required to conduct the homeless count because it is has been allocated $3.1 million in Homelessness Partnering Strategy Funding from the federal government between 2014 and 2019.
Victoria Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe said she thinks the information gathered in the count will be helpful.
“I get several emails every day saying: ‘Why are we helping people experiencing homelessness when they come from somewhere else?’ ” she said.
The count “will give us an opportunity to find out if that’s true.”
A homeless count in Victoria in January 2005 found about 700 people living on the street.
A count conducted in 2007 found more than 1,200 people without a roof or living in unstable housing.
Volunteers in the 2016 count will try to estimate how many people are staying in shelters or sleeping rough in parks or on the street.
The information gathered will give communities information about what services are needed by the homeless population, and over time can be used to track whether there is progress reducing homelessness.
Locally, the Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria is co-ordinating the count, which will begin at noon on Feb. 10 and continue until midnight. Volunteers will work in teams of two or three to interview people and conduct a short survey.
The survey includes questions about where people are staying, their age and gender, when they moved to Victoria and how long they have been homeless. It also asks about aboriginal ancestry, service in the RCMP or the Canadian Forces, and if they came to Canada as an immigrant or refugee in the past five years.
Volunteers will also ask why they lost housing and where they get their money from.
Anyone interested in volunteering should complete an application as soon as possible. Applications will be accepted until Jan. 22.
The Social Planning Council is looking for volunteers who are compassionate, non-judgmental, accepting and who enjoy talking to people. A good sense of humour would also be an asset. Experience is desirable, but not necessary.
Each volunteer must attend a two-hour training session and must be 19 or older.
For information on volunteering, contact Trudy Norman, at 250-383-6166 ext. 112 or send an email to volunteercoordinator@ communitycouncil.ca.
