City releases more information on Homelessness Estimation Survey

Following a city council meeting presentation by the Rural Development Network (RDN) about the first-ever homelessness study in the city, more details have been released.

According to a release from city officials, the Homelessness Estimation Survey will be launched next week on Monday, March 11.

“Continuing to foster and build a caring community is one of our council priorities and supporting residents experiencing social vulnerability is an important part of that,” said Mayor Peter Brown. “This survey will provide us with an opportunity to learn more about members of our community who we don’t always have the chance to hear from.”

The survey will be conducted by RDN, which is a national nonprofit organization that specializes in identifying and addressing social needs in communities across Canada. Running from March 11 to April 24, the survey aims to address several issues including:

• Provide a comprehensive picture of housing insecurity and homelessness or houselessness in Airdrie.
• Inform service providers and government efforts in advocating and applying for funding to prevent and respond to homelessness in Airdrie.
• Elevate and incorporate the voices of people experiencing homelessness in the solutions to end homelessness.
• Data collected through this survey will inform the development of solutions to address housing insecurity and houselessness across the community. The survey complements the City’s ongoing work in affordable housing and fills a critical data gap by specifically focusing on individuals who may not be represented in traditional data sources such as the census.

Housing insecurity and homelessness can look different in smaller communities than it does in larger urban centres and include those who are unsheltered, which is defined as living on the streets or in places not intended for human habitation, but also those who are emergency sheltered, defined as people who are staying in overnight shelters due to homelessness and/or family violence.

Other crucial differences include those who would be classified as provisionally accommodated, meaning people with accommodation that is temporary or lacks security, such as couch-surfing, people in domestic violence situations, etc, as well as those who are at risk of homelessness.

Anyone in the community who is currently experiencing any of the forms of housing insecurity above is encouraged to complete the survey online or in person at participating service providers in the community. More information on Airdrie’s Homelessness Estimation Survey, including a link to the survey and a list of participating agencies, can be found on the city’s website.

“Social service providers in Airdrie report that more and more community residents are experiencing housing insecurity and houselessness. Having accurate data on the needs of our community becomes increasingly important as we work towards ensuring everyone in Airdrie has safe, secure, and appropriate housing,” added Angela Angel, a social planner with the City of Airdrie.

RDN, will collect and analyze the data, and develop the report, which will be shared back with Council and the community in the fall of 2024.

Participating service providers in Airdrie will provide paper copies to community members, and it will also be available online. Survey respondents will remain anonymous.

Airdrie’s first Homelessness Estimation Study is set to commence in March with a final report anticipated in the fall of 2024 that will include actions to tackle Airdrie specific issues.

“Homelessness can be understood as a spectrum in which people can experience being unsheltered, emergency sheltered, provisionally accommodated, and at-risk of homelessness,” said Emma Wallace, the study project manager from the Rural Development Network (RDN), during the March 4 Airdrie City Council meeting.

The key aims of the Homelessness Estimation Study are to help the City of Airdrie quantify homelessness in Airdrie, determine what service gaps exist and link to and inform the City’s work on Airdrie’s 2024-2030 Affordable Housing Principled Action Plan.

The survey will commence mid-March and run for 45 days until the end of April 2024.

Participating service providers in Airdrie will provide paper copies to community members, and it will also be available online. Survey respondents will remain anonymous.

The survey uses the federal government’s definition of homelessness which is described as “the situation of an individual, family or community without stable, safe, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it.”

Once the survey period is completed, the data will be analyzed and a final report will be completed in July. That report will be shared with council and Airdrie residents in the fall of 2024. Next steps will be taken in the winter of 2024 based on study results.

“We want to be able to use this data to help advocacy purposes in applying for funding to prevent and respond to homelessness, and most importantly looking to elevate and incorporate the voices of folks experiencing homelessness and solutions to end homelessness,” Wallace said.

The top factors leading to homelessness in Calgary, which is the closest city to Airdrie with data on homelessness, included low incomes, lack of affordable housing, conflicts with a spouse, conflicts with landlords, or substance use issues.

Based on the 2022 National Point in Time Count, there were 6,649 Albertans experiencing homelessness across the seven major cities. Wallace said there is no homelessness data in Airdrie.

A study of 45 communities across Alberta in 2023 showed that 69 per cent of homeless respondents were employed in some capacity, which means sometimes having a job is not enough.

“In reality, people experiencing homelessness are much more likely to have experienced violence or be a victim of crime than be the ones committing the crime,” Wallace said. “This is a common misconception because people experiencing homelessness do often interact with the criminal justice system, but this is as a result of activities required for daily survival, which are criminalized, for example going to the bathroom in public, loitering, or trespassing.”

Wallace added that someone does not have to be sleeping outside or “sleeping rough” to be experiencing homelessness. Homeless individuals often avoid the streets or emergency shelters in fear of their safety and will couch surf or stay in unsafe or inadequate housing.

Coun. Al Jones pointed out that some homeless individuals may not have access to the online survey, to which Wallace said local service agencies like the library, Airdrie’s Genesis Place, a victim support centre, and the local food bank would be providing paper copies. RDN will also work with the City to determine any areas in the City they could visit to distribute paper copies of the survey.

Wallace said it’s important to have up to date information about the City’s homelessness situation in order to apply for funding for things like affordable housing, which is also a requirement for builders.

RDN is currently working with local service agencies to translate the survey based on the needs of their clientele.