Homeless people include people who are receiving social assistance, people who are actively employed in the work force, and people who are living on pensions. In Ottawa in 2006, 9,010 people were homeless and stayed in an emergency shelter at some point. As well, there were 9,143 households at risk of losing their housing who were helped through a combination of federal, provincial and municipal funding. On their behalf, The Alliance to End Homelessness, a coalition of 73 Ottawa health, social service, and housing agencies in place for twelve years, is committed to working collaboratively to end homelessness by gaining and promoting a better understanding of homelessness and advocating for strategies to end it.