Lead, support, and coordinate research on the demographics of homelessness in St. John’s.

End Homelessness St. John’s: Conducting point-in-time counts

In consultation with First Light, End Homelessness St. John’s has taken steps to ensure that the realities of Indigenous individuals are more fully captured in the organization’s point-in-time (PiT) counts. Improved data collection methods mean that End Homelessness St. John’s has more robust data on the demographics of homelessness which can then be used to drive more targeted program delivery.

At the same time, the PiT counts currently survey only those presenting at shelters and those encountered outdoors. There are limitations to such an approach. Indigenous people may be less likely to present at shelters due to discrimination faced in those settings. End Homelessness St. John’s acknowledged in their most recent PiT count report (November 2022) that the count of Indigenous persons experiencing homelessness was likely an underrepresentation of the true number. The next PiT count by End Homelessness St. John’s is planned for November 2024.

For End Homelessness St. John’s:

• Continue to collaborate with Indigenous organizations like First Light to improve the accuracy of demographic data on homelessness and to ensure its ongoing availability to policy-makers.