The Calgary Homeless Foundation says that their 10 Year Plan to end homelessness is working to keep people off the street.
In a count completed on January 15, the CHF says that 3,533 people were homeless, compared to 3,190 in January 2012.
The organization says that before their 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness in Calgary was implemented in 2008, the count number rose by about 35% every two years.
So, without the plan, the count would be in the range of nearly 9,000 people.
“As Calgary’s population grows, so do many public systems such as schools, hospitals and transit systems,” said Gerrad Oishi, interim President and CEO, CHF in a release. “Given this reality and the affordable housing crisis, that there are fewer people homeless than in 2008 is remarkable.”
Counts are one day snapshots of homelessness that capture numbers and basic demographics of people staying in emergency shelters, short-term supportive housing (STSH), jails, hospitals, addictions treatment facilities and on the streets.
The foundation will use this year’s findings to determine trends and changes in demographics.
A full report will be released in the spring.
