Preliminary findings released from province-wide homeless count

Preliminary figures for Fort McMurray’s Point-in-Time (PIT) Homeless Count were released today as part of the province-wide PIT count conducted in Alberta’s seven largest cities. The count was conducted by volunteer enumerators on the streets of Fort McMurray on April 11.

“The Point-in-Time count is one of the essential tools used to highlight the progress with the plan to end homelessness,” said Kimberly Snow, supervisor, Neighbourhood and Community Development. “It allows us to examine homelessness trends locally and across the province, as well as align funding resources to maximize the impact of our programming.”

According to the provincial preliminary report, over 5,735 people in Alberta were experiencing homelessness, with 200 people being accounted for in Fort McMurray. The 2018 Alberta Point-in-Time Homeless Count was conducted in Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Calgary. The province-wide PIT count is funded by the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy. 

This year’s count saw an increase in the people experiencing homelessness in Fort McMurray from the last count in 2016. The increase has been attributed to the time of year the count took place, the methodology used and the slow re-entry after the 2016 Horse River Wildfire. The data from the provincial count will continue to be tabulated and analyzed, and a full community and provincial report will be released in the coming months.

To view the preliminary report or for more information on the Community Plan on Homelessness, visit rmwb.ca/homelessness.