Regina volunteers help determine the degree of homelessness in the city – Regina | The Canadian News

Volunteers recently helped with a moment-in-time count, a strategy used to help determine the degree of homelessness in Regina on any given night or at a single time.

The count at a point in time is done through the federal government’s Reaching Home program.

Addison Docherty is the CEO of Flow Community Projects, which hosted the event in Regina this week.

Docherty told Global News that there have been counts of a moment in time in 2015 and 2018, and now in 2021.

“Before we were counting a moment in time, we really didn’t know we had a homeless problem. Homelessness looks different in Regina, ”said Docherty.

He added that the counts of a moment in time create a lot of awareness about homelessness.

“There are people who need help and accounts like this help us identify what some of the barriers are and why people are losing their homes.”

Docherty explained that with this information gathered, there is an opportunity for conversations to be held at higher and lower levels, with people serving the most vulnerable in the city.

Around 130 volunteers organized for this year’s PiT-Count. Volunteers were assigned an area in the city and sent out to ask people to participate in an anonymous housing survey.

“Through that survey and data collection, you can find out how many people at any one time are homeless on an overnight basis in your community,” explained Docherty.

In 2018, a point-in-time count identified 286 homeless.

In a couple of months a report will be generated from the survey. Docherty described this report as a “tool.”

“That data can be used to tell the story,” said Docherty.

Docherty said the survey and report help guide advocates and the community’s response to homelessness.