HomewardTrust

Homeward Trust latest count of homeless has increased to 4,697 in September which is an increase of almost 2000 since last year. Homeward Trust includes people: staying in shelters, without any shelter, those with provisional accommodation and those who have no stable housing.

Two methods of counting are used to measure homelessness. The first method is the point in time (PIT) count, which is conducted on a single day and the method is the By Name List (BNL), which relies on data from 65 service providers and agencies. Susan McGee, CEO of Homeward Trust, says providing an accurate snapshot of a complex problem like homelessness is extremely difficult, and no method is perfect.

On Monday, NDP housing critic Janis Irwin referenced the Homeward Trust figure of "nearly 5,000" while Jason Nixon, minister for Seniors, Community and Social Services insists the numbers continue to hover around 1,700 to 1,800 people in the city of Edmonton.

Whatever the real numbers are it will be way too many and proof positive that all that has been done to curb homelessness has failed miserably.

Almost in lockstep with the approach of winter is the rallying cry about the plight of the homeless. A number of agencies and advocacy groups are calling for more action from all levels of government and for a stop to to the removal of encampments. Homeward Trust recently reported a 47 per cent increase in people experiencing homelessness in Edmonton.

The increase in numbers of homeless and the renewed calls for more help come beg the following soul searching questions. Why hasn't the hundreds of millions of dollars already spent and the countless efforts of many the past few years worked to eradicate or even lessen the problem of? Is it because no one knows and/or cares to tackle the root of the problem?

According to data from the city's main housing agent, Homeward Trust, homelessness has risen by 47% this year. Homeward Trust CEO Susan McGee said the data is not definitive, Jason Nixon, minister of seniors, community and social services believes the numbers are skewed while Nadine Chalifoux, chair of the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECHH), believes the numbers may be higher.

The numbers of homeless may be questionable but what isn't is homelessness remains a major issue In spite of millions of dollars spent on various efforts and fronts to address the problem. It may be time for all involved in the various efforts and fronts to seriously consider Albert Einstein's oft quoted saying "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" and whether it may be time to consider a new approach to the issue of homelessness