Everyone Counts: St. John's Homelessness Point-in-Time Count 2016

On a cold, snowy November 30, 2016 End Homelessness St. John’s (EHSJ), its partners and over 100 volunteers, conducted St. John’s first biennial homeless point-in-time (PiT) count, titled ‘Everyone Counts’. This initiative included a count of the number of people experiencing homelessness3 in St. John’s on a single day as well as a focused youth outreach approach during the count week to enhance our knowledge of homelessness among this population. On November 30, 2016 there were at least 166 people experiencing homelessness in St. John’s, including 38 youth aged 16 to 24 years. This number represents the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness in St. John’s on one day. This is just the tip of the iceberg, however: during the course of a year, EHSJ estimates that approximately 800 people experience homelessness in St. John’s.4

The city's emergency shelter data reveals the persistence of homelessness at these levels between 2010-2015, the years prior to EHSJ introducing its 2014-2019 Community Plan to End Homelessness, which is focused on providing the housing, support services and system coordination needed to prevent and end homelessness in St. John's. The Count also affirms that homelessness is not a choice, with 95.2% of respondents stating they want permanent housing, but face barriers obtaining it.

While the primary purpose of the count was to enumerate the number of people experiencing homelessness in St. John’s on a single day, it also provided an opportunity for those experiencing homelessness to share their stories. 

Publication Date: 
2017