Point in Time Count 2024
Homelessness in Thunder Bay is a pressing social issue, reflecting both local challenges and national trends. Thunder Bay faces unique factors that intensify the scope of housing vulnerability, including high unemployment, a critical shortage of affordable housing, and a rising cost of living that places strain on low-income households. Additionally, Thunder Bay has a significant Indigenous population who often experience systemic barriers to stable housing due to historical and ongoing challenges like intergenerational trauma and social discrimination. As a result, many individuals struggle to find secure, long-term housing, placing increased pressure on local shelters and outreach services.
Nationally, homelessness remains a persistent issue across Canada, affecting individuals and families in both large cities and smaller communities like Thunder Bay. The 2023 local Homelessness Individual and Family Information System (HIFIS) annual report estimated that over 1,100 people in Thunder Bay experience homelessness each year, with hundreds relying on emergency shelters, temporary accommodations, or staying in unsafe or overcrowded conditions. The causes of homelessness in Thunder Bay are varied and complex, encompassing economic, social, and health-related factors, and often disproportionately impacting Indigenous, racialized, and LGBTQ2S+ populations. These structural issues have only been amplified by the pandemic, which intensified economic stressors, disrupted support networks, and further strained resources.
In response to this issue, communities across Canada, including Thunder Bay, conduct PiT counts—an initiative designed to collect valuable data on housing insecurity. A PiT count is a coordinated effort to assess the number of people experiencing homelessness in a specific area on a single night, gathering key demographic information that helps local governments and organizations better understand who is impacted and why. By recording data on age, gender, Indigenous identity, and family composition, among other factors, PiT Counts provide a snapshot of homelessness within a community. This data is essential for evaluating trends over time, determining gaps in service provision, and ensuring that resources are targeted effectively.
The insights generated from PiT counts support strategic planning and policy development, allowing communities to respond more effectively to the root causes of homelessness and track their progress over time.
For Thunder Bay, these counts provide crucial information about local challenges and guide the federal Reaching Home funding Community Entities (CEs) and other partners ongoing efforts to address housing insecurity. By involving community stakeholders, including people with lived experience, local organizations, and volunteers, PiT counts foster community involvement and create a shared responsibility for addressing houselessness and surrounding issues. As Thunder Bay grapples with the growing homelessness crisis, PiT counts offer an invaluable tool to inform solutions and drive meaningful progress toward reducing housing vulnerability.