The County of Renfrew has reached out to the district’s homeless in an effort to personify them, rather than merely gather statistics.
The County’s Point-in-time count was released Thursday (November 23rd) after great collaboration with a number of community partners in getting it done.
Staff from the Community Services Department, the Paramedic Service and the Health Unit as well as volunteers from agencies at more than a dozen locations.
Pont-in-time date for the snapshot was October 27th at which time 55 households indicated they were homeless- 65 percent of whom had no fixed address in the Pembroke area.
53 percent had been on the streets for more than six months- most of whom ranged in age from 30 to 64, although 27 percent were in the 16 to 29 demographic.
Of the 55 homeless households, 40 percent were unsheltered, 31 percent were couch surfers and 20 percent were accommodated in an emergency shelter or hotel.
Just over one fifth of the County’s homeless attribute their situation to intimate partner violence, while an equal number cite breakdown of a relationship. Evictions of various sorts account for 34 percent.
Most of the homeless in Renfrew County are single (60 percent); 56 percent live with mental illness. Almost half have a medical illness, and 42 percent report some form of substance abuse.
To slow the growth of those numbers, The County of Renfrew delivers the provincially-funded Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) to help residents with low incomes maintain housing stability.
Anyone experiencing homelessness who requires assistance in connecting with community agencies and supports is directed to the County of Renfrew website where a several phone numbers are listed.
By Rick Stow
