Violence common experience for city's homeless

Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership and Community University Institute for Social Research (which facilitates partnerships between the University of Saskatchewan and the larger community), conducted a point-in-time homelessness count recently in Saskatoon. The following are five things to know from their community report, which was released on Wednesday.

1.

Point-in-time (PIT) homelessness count

The point-in-time count provides a snapshot of those experiencing unsheltered and sheltered homelessness during a 24hour period. This year’s PIT count in Saskatoon took place on April 18. The preliminary results found that of the 562 people spoken to, 475 experienced homelessness, including 461 adults, three youth from the ages of 10 to 18, and 11 children under the age of 10. In 2015, there were 405 adults and 45 children who experienced homelessness. The last PIT count, conducted in 2015, counted 450 people who were homeless, compared to 379 in 2012 and 260 in 2008.

2.

Who experiences homelessness?

Of the people surveyed, 85.5 per cent identified as Indigenous, or have Indigenous ancestry. Of that 85.5 per cent, almost 80 per cent were First Nations, with or without status; 1.7 per cent had Indigenous ancestry; and six per cent were Metis. Of those surveyed, 14.5 per cent were non-indigenous.

3.

Homelessness and violence

Out of those experiencing homelessness, 69.5 per cent also experienced violence. Sixty-six per cent of men, 72 per cent of women and 100 per cent of trans and two spirit people said they experienced violence.

4.

Public perception

A public perception section of the survey included responses from those who weren’t experiencing homelessness. The majority of all people surveyed believe homelessness is a serious issue in Saskatoon. Eighty-four per cent of those housed and 87 per cent of those unhoused considered homelessness to be a serious issue, whereas three per cent of those housed and four per cent of those unhoused considered it not at all a serious issue.

5.

What should be done?

The public perception piece of the survey also included an open-ended question asking what the city and the community could do to reduce homelessness in Saskatoon. The most frequent response to this question was to provide more affordable housing. Other answers for this question included more counselling, more awareness and better education.