Not enough data about homelessness in small communities, researchers say

There's a big lack of data on how homelessness affects small communities across Canada, researchers say.

A national forum to discuss the issues surrounding the country's homeless population was held in Charlottetown Monday. The forum was organized by Lawson Health Research Institute, a national research group.

The group says most data on homelessness comes from large urban centres like Toronto and Montreal. Researchers hope that with proper data, service providers in places like P.E.I. could be able to tap into more government funding.

"You don't get resources for the homeless population because they are not in the numbers," said Cheryl Forchuk, assistant scientific director with Lawson.

"With adequate numbers, we get a better match with adequate funding."

So far Lawson, in partnership with Western University, has interviewed 400 people experiencing homelessness across the country.

"I'm certainly hoping that having better numbers will give the ammunition for more resources," Forchuk said. 

"I'm also hoping by being able to break down those numbers as to whose homeless we have appropriate services. Like, if you know the increase is youth, for example, that you have youth-specific services."

'No one simple answer'

There are no hard numbers on how many Islanders are currently homeless.

In 2021, the John Howard Society released numbers on P.E.I.'s homeless population. The non-profit organization estimated at least 147 Islanders were homeless – a 71 per cent increase when compared to 2018 estimates.

"Homelessness is a very complex topic," said Conor Mullin, president of the John Howard Society of P.E.I. "There is no one simple answer or reason why it exists and there is not going to be any one simple solution to solve it.

"However… that solution starts with bringing together everybody who has an interest in and works in this area."

The biggest issue facing people in precarious living situations across the country is a lack of affordable housing and the need to increase income support, Forchuk said.

Building affordable housing

"Think of someone who's on old age security, provincial income support, provincial disability, and you think of across the country provincial income support tends to run around $600 a month," she said.

"If someone has $600 a month, what actual housing here could someone actually afford? Probably not an apartment. Could they even rent a room?"

Charlottetown city council passed a resolution last week to form a team to address homeless encampments.

There is little detail on who may form that group and how it will work. But building affordable housing has to be part of the plan, said Mayor Philip Brown.

"We have an affordable housing tax incentive to encourage all levels of government, non-government, private industry, NGOs to build more public housing, social housing, affordable housing, subsidized housing," he said.

Forchuk said that with homelessness growing on P.E.I., more and more people know someone who's on the verge or already facing homelessness.

She said she hopes that leads to people offering a more compassionate approach to helping the unhoused population.

The Lawson research group is aiming to complete gathering data by March.