Front-line workers in Thunder Bay are not surprised by the latest point-in-time count revealing a continued rise in homelessness in the northwestern Ontario city. Data from the Lakehead Social Planning Council shows that on October 9, 652 individuals were experiencing homelessness. The count identified 198 people in emergency shelters, 154 in transitional housing, 130 in encampments, 98 in jail, 47 outdoors but not in encampments, and 28 in domestic-violence shelters.
According to Brendan Carlin, executive director of Shelter House, the increasing numbers were expected but the extent of the issue and the high number of people still living on the streets, especially as the weather gets colder, were concerning. The data coincides with previous point-in-time counts in Thunder Bay, indicating a rise in chronic homelessness, with 61% of individuals surveyed last year having experienced homelessness for 18 months or more over the previous three years.
Carlin highlighted various contributing factors to prolonged homelessness, including rising living costs, substance use issues, and mental health crises among the unhoused population. Rent affordability and low income were identified as significant barriers to housing, with Indigenous residents in Thunder Bay being five times more likely to experience homelessness than non-Indigenous individuals.
The latest count observed 177 people living outdoors, either in encampments or elsewhere, as temperatures dropped. Carlin emphasized the challenges faced by shelters in accommodating individuals during the winter months, with concerns about capacity. The broader trend of rising homelessness in northern Ontario was also noted, with a report by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario indicating a significant increase in homelessness cases in the region compared to the rest of the province.
Addressing the pressing need for more housing, the AMO report called for an $11-billion investment over a decade to develop over 75,000 affordable and supportive housing units. Carlin emphasized the importance of supportive and transitional housing in providing unhoused individuals with shelter and necessary assistance to address their specific needs effectively.