Point in Time Homeless Counts
A Point in Time count (PiT count) provides a snapshot of people who are experiencing homelessness (including people experiencing homelessness in shelters, unsheltered locations, and transitional housing) in a 24-hour period.
A PiT Count is not intended to be a comprehensive research study, nor is it designed to provide the absolute number of individuals experiencing homelessness in a community. Instead, it offers a snapshot of homelessness and allows communities to measure their progress in reducing homelessness.
The 2023 Squamish Point in Time Homeless Count took place in a 24 hour period between the evenings of April 24th and 25th this year, in partnership with Homelessness Services Association of BC , Squamish Helping Hands Society, PearlSpace, Sea to Sky Community Services, and Vancouver Coastal Health. Results from the Count are now available online.
Highlights include:
- 119 people were identified as experiencing homelessness (compared to 107 in 2021)
- 86% of respondents were unsheltered
- 67% were adults between the ages of 25-54, 9% were youth under 25
- 32% of respondents identified as Indigenous, compared with 3% of the Census population
- 41% reported insufficient income as their reason for housing loss
Surveys almost always results in an undercount, and results will reflect only those who participated in the survey. In past counts, women, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, Indigenous people, racialized peoples, youth, and seniors tend to be underrepresented in this methodology.
The complete Squamish 2023 profile is available here: 2023 Squamish PiT Homeless Count
The previous profile for 2021 is available here: 2021 Squamish PiT Homeless Count
