A Street Census is a survey conducted over a 24 hour period to gather information about the extent and nature of homelessness in Winnipeg. Though some cities call these projects “Point in Time Counts” of homelessness, we have chosen the term Street Census because the project will involve more than simply counting people; the methodology is designed to increase understanding of the demographics of those who are experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg, and what they identify as their service needs.

The Street Census occurred on April 18, 2018.

Conducting a Street Census is essential to all communities to have a reliable estimate on who and how many people are homeless in Winnipeg. Though the second Street Census will not tell us for certain if homelessness is increasing or decreasing, it can provide us some trends and information on changes in the population over time.

The Street Census is a tally of who is homeless on a given day and provides a snapshot of who experiences homelessness throughout the year.

• Findings from the Street Census will demonstrate the housing and service needs specific to Winnipeg
• The Street Census will provide information to aid community organizations, funders and all levels of government plan for the funding and service needs of homeless persons in Winnipeg
• Data from the Street Census, when done in future years, can tell us how successful we have been in addressing homelessness

The Street Census will include indicators of how many people are experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg, where they stay, and how long/how many times they have been homeless.

It will also gather demographic information like age, gender, Indigenous identity, and newcomer status.

The methodology of the Street Census has been used in many communities across Canada and other parts of the world. It is done over 24 hours to reduce duplication and to make it as cost and resource effective as possible. Because it is the same method used in many cities, it will be possible to compare results across Canada.

Any enumeration of homeless populations is only an estimate. This is because invisibility is a survival strategy for many people who are homeless. The Street Census in Winnipeg uses the following methodology to provide the best possible estimate:

Street Survey- the street survey will reach people living in public/private places without contract or places not intended as a shelter. From 7pm-10pm, volunteers will walk around areas that have been identified as places people experiencing homelessness spend their time. Additionally, an outreach team will drive to further locations to reach those who are outside of the inner city.

Sheltered Survey- the sheltered survey includes all emergency/ domestic violence shelters and transitional housing in Winnipeg.

Indoor Known Locations Survey- takes place in participating drop-in centres, ministries, resource centres, soup kitchens, etc., and reaches individuals that may have been missed in the street or sheltered surveys.

Data from agencies/government- includes those living in institutions (e.g. hospitals, prisons) who do not have a permanent address.

People who are experiencing hidden homelessness (sometimes called ‘couch surfing’) are a significant portion of the homeless population. Youth, women and families are more likely to stay with friends, family or even strangers when they experience homelessness than to go to shelters or stay outside. Because of the nature of hidden homelessness, the point-in-time methodology cannot provide a reliable estimate of how many people experience it. However, those who we do encounter through surveys at Indoor Known Locations and Street routes will provide other valuable information on hidden homelessness.

Though duplication is a challenge for all homeless surveys because we will not be gathering information that can identify people (name, ID numbers), research from other cities has shown that all homeless ‘counts’ are underestimates of the population. For every person surveyed, many more are missed. However, the following methods will be used to reduce duplication:

The surveys collect specific information about each individual who is surveyed (i.e. date of birth, gender). This information will be used to estimate duplication across surveys.

Interviewers will wear identifiable buttons on their clothing and ask people if they have already taken part in the survey.

Surveys will be conducted by approximately 300 trained volunteers, including people who have experience of homelessness, and staff of community organizations.

Yes, all volunteers will receive training in interviewing and survey recording, cultural safety for participants, safety for themselves, and ethical research with people experiencing homelessness. The training will include confidentiality and consent requirements. All survey teams will include one experienced professional in the social services sector and individuals with lived experience of homelessness, whenever possible. Debriefing will be available to all volunteers.

Volunteers do not have to have experience working with people who are homeless, though this is an asset. We are looking for volunteers who have strong English communication skills, are good listeners and are non-judgmental. Volunteers must be 18 or older and can come with a friend or on their own (we will match them with a team). We have a set number of honourariums available for people with lived experience of homelessness who want to be involved.

Volunteers will be asked to be available for a mandatory 2.5 hour training in the weeks before the Street Census, and a minimum of a 4 hour volunteer shift on April 18.

Posters and handouts about the Street Census will be available for agencies to post in advance.

Volunteers will arrive at your agency at a pre-arranged, designated time and/or may be visible within the general location of your agency. Volunteers will talk one-on-one with individuals who are interested in completing the survey and this will be done in the style of a short interview (about 10 minutes each).

All participants, including those who access your services, will be informed of their right to privacy and confidentiality. Clients will be respected regardless of their decision to participate or decline participation at any point during the survey. Individuals who decide not to interact with interviewers or who are asleep will not be disturbed. No identifying information will be collected from interviewees, therefore the interview participants will remain anonymous.

The services of existing outreach teams or staff at your agency (depending on the agency and advance agreement) will be sought so that if an interviewee requires assistance, the interviewer can connect that person to resources immediately. Interviewees will also be provided with information about the Street Census with contact information so they can ask questions or raise concerns about the project.

The Social Planning Council of Winnipeg is coordinating the Street Census, working in partnership with:

The project is funded by the Homelessness Partnering Strategy through the Government of Canada. Many other community agencies are supporting through participation in planning groups, providing administrative data, and assisting with the survey at their locations.

The Final Report has was released on October 10, 2018.  It is available here.

If you have any further questions or concerns regarding the Winnipeg Street Census please contact:

Kate Kehler at
kkehler@spcw.mb.ca.

(204)943-2561