The City of Hamilton recently took part in a nationally coordinated survey called “Everyone Counts,” which is a coordinated point-in-time count on the state of homelessness across the country.
The City of Hamilton participated in the data collection exercise from Nov. 4 to Nov. 18, 2024, although the results were just recently released.
The initiative is known locally as the “Point in Time Connection” and is a joint planning effort of the City of Hamilton’s Housing Services Division and the local Indigenous community through the Coalition of Hamilton Indigenous Leadership (CHIL).
They gathered survey responses and enumeration data from over 130 staff from 21 housing and homelessness programs and engaged with 807 individuals experiencing homelessness.
On the night of Nov. 4, 2024, 1,216 “unique individuals were identified as homeless in the City of Hamilton,” according to the report.
That number represents a 31 per cent increase from the previous Point in Time Connection from 2021, which recorded a total of 927 individuals.
Of that population, 807 people (66 per cent of the enumerated population) completed a data collection survey.
A total of 57 per cent of respondents identified as male, while 40 per cent identified as female.
In terms of age group, 48 per cent identified as between 31 and 49 years of age, while the next most populous age group, representing 19 per cent, was those aged 50 to 64.
The majority of those, 54 per cent, reported that they were staying at a homeless shelter, while 20 per cent were at an encampment, and 11 per cent simply slept unsheltered.
In terms of health difficulties, 83 per cent reported “at least one difficulty related to a health challenge,” while 59 per cent reported having difficulties related to mental health, and 50 per cent reported difficulties related to substance use.
The survey also identified that 23 per cent of respondents came to Canada as an immigrant, refugee, asylum claimant, or through another process.
The respondents were also asked about their length of time in Hamilton, and it was discovered that 24 per cent have only been in the city for 12 months or less.
A total of 37 per cent have always been in Hamilton, while 24 per cent have been residents for five years or more, and 10 per cent for one to five years.
In terms of race, 33 per cent identified as a member of a racialized group and 24 per cent reported Indigenous identity or ancestry.
Hamilton City Manager Marnie Cluckie says that the Point-in-Time Connection “is an important initiative and demonstration of Hamilton’s commitment to a ‘whole of Hamilton’ approach, working collaboratively to prevent and end homelessness.”
“The data complements local efforts and helps us prioritize the most vulnerable individuals by connecting them to the right support services,” she continued.
While the city finds the data useful, they also note that their count of those experiencing homelessness is “not exhaustive” as “many people experience more hidden forms of homelessness,” such as staying temporarily with family or friends.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
