2024 PiT Count
The Point-in-Time (PiT) Count is a national effort to measure the number of people experiencing homelessness in communities. It provides a national picture of homelessness, and the information needed to understand changes in homelessness across communities and over time. Communities must run their Point-in-Time Count sometime between October 1 and November 30 and must include the two parts, the Count (also known as the enumeration) and the Survey.
The Count is a 24-hour event where outreach teams canvass outdoor areas, shelters, transitional shelters, transitional housing facilities, drop-in and day centres, hospitals and correctional facilities. The Survey is a set of standardized survey questions administered directly to individuals experiencing homelessness.
Ottawa's 2024 Count
Participation in the Count and Survey is crucial for understanding the evolving nature of homelessness in Ottawa.
In Ottawa, the 2024 Count occurred from noon on Wednesday, October 23, to noon on Thursday, October 24.
The 2024 Survey was open between noon on Wednesday, October 23, and 4 pm on Monday, October 28. This is an extended survey period compared to previous years that expects to capture populations often missed or undercounted. For example, youth, women, Indigenous Peoples and those experiencing hidden homelessness, such as those couch-surfing or staying in temporary, insecure housing.
The City of Ottawa’s Housing and Homelessness Services co-led the 2024 PiT Count in partnership with Indigenous Housing Partners. Supporting the count was a core group of representatives from organizations serving hard-to-reach populations. This included Indigenous individuals and families, youth, veterans, justice-involved individuals, and newcomers. Training and information sessions, in English and French, were provided for the service sector, partner agencies, other City of Ottawa departments, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness.
For more information, contact pitcount_dénombrementponctuel@ottawa.ca.
Background, approach and results
Background
The Point-in-Time (PiT) Count is a nationally coordinated effort to capture information about homelessness in Canada. It has two components:
- An Enumeration, which happens over a 24-hour period and aims to:
- Estimate of the number of people experiencing homelessness in an area
- Identify the locations where people are spending the night, for example, shelters, transitional housing, or unsheltered locations
- A Survey on Homelessness which aims to:
- Document the experiences of people affected by homelessness
- Collect valuable information on demographics, characteristics, and contributing factors of homelessness
The Point-in-Time Count helps communities understand the scope of homelessness and the needs of those experiencing homelessness. The findings support resource allocation and the development of targeted programs and policies to prevent, reduce, and end homelessness. National coordination of PiT Counts also helps highlight areas of increased need across the country.
Approach
Surveyors recruit respondents with convenience sampling, which means they approach potential respondents that are close by during the survey period. Many factors can affect participation in the survey including:
- Number of community partners involved in the PiT Count
- Location of surveyors and their physical proximity to potential respondents
- Number of engagement events
City of Ottawa counts
City staff and community partners work together to survey people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa. The City has led three counts:
- October 2024: Based on the 2024 Point-in-Time Count, 2,952 people reported experiencing homelessness in Ottawa.
- October 2021: Based on the 2021 Point-in-Time Count, 2,612 people reported experiencing homelessness in Ottawa.
- April 2018: Based on the 2018 Point-in-Time Count 1,654 people reported experiencing homelessness in Ottawa.
Results
Changes in results for the 2024 count may be due to:
- survey period in 2024 increased from one to five days, allowing for a wider reach of respondents, and reducing the demand on sector volunteers
- changes in number of agencies participating in survey collection
- shifts in methodology and question structure
- introduction of electronic survey format for 2024 survey period