qathet region’s 2025 point in time homeless count will be taking place on March 7.
Lift Community Services is partnering with Homelessness Services Association of BC (HSABC) to administer the count locally. The point in time count provides a 24-hour snapshot of the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness in a community, collects demographic information and gathers details about the experience of being unhoused, according to a media release from Lift.
As one of the few existing measurements of homelessness and housing needs, Lift encourages anyone who doesn’t have a place to pay rent to connect with the count on March 7.
“Anyone who doesn’t have a place to pay rent is encouraged to take our anonymous, voluntary survey,” stated Jessica Colasanto, Lift’s community resources manager. “If you are living outside, couch-surfing, living in a car, or staying with a friend, we want to hear from you. Your voice is important in helping identify housing needs in our community. Come see us at the Community Resource Centre, or the Powell River Public Library [on March 7], or call us at 604.414.6369.”
According to the release, qathet's first point in time count took place in 2023 with 126 individuals self-identifying as experiencing homelessness.
“This year’s count is an important follow-up to that initial data,” stated Colasanto. “This is an opportunity to see how we’re trending as a community, and in comparison to other communities in the province.”
The point in time count does not solely target individuals sleeping outside, but aims to identify as many people as possible who don’t have a place to pay rent, including individuals who live in their vehicles or are long-term couch-surfers, the release stated.
“Folks who are sheltered but do not have a place of their own are part of the hidden homelessness that this count aims to capture,” stated Colasanto. “The lack of visibility of people who are sheltered but don’t have their own place, who are maybe staying with friends temporarily or sleeping in their vehicle, skews our perception of the extent of housing needs in the community.”
Lift is working with community partners to connect with individuals who meet the criteria and invite them to take a short, anonymous survey. On March 7, Lift will be doing outreach in the community, as well as popping up several tables around town, including in the library foyer and the Community Resource Centre, where individuals can drop by and fill out the survey. There is also the phone line where individuals can call and complete the survey over the phone.
HSABC administers homeless counts in 20 communities throughout the province on behalf of BC Housing and the ministry of housing and municipal affairs. Data from these counts, including qathet’s, will be combined with 11 other counts funded by the federal government and independent sources, to produce a provincial summary comprising 31 communities. A report will be released in the fall.
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