The Ministry of Housing and BC Housing are looking for school contacts to conduct the Point-in-Time (PiT) Homeless Counts in BC schools over fall 2024 and spring 2025. The PiT Counts measure homelessness over a 24-hour period in communities. PiT counts give important baseline information on the estimated number, key demographic and service provision needs of people experiencing homelessness.
To support this important work in schools, a survey is generally conducted by school counsellors or other support staff who have a pre-existing relationship with students and knowledge of students’ living situations. The survey does not disclose the student’s living situation or other survey responses to anyone else, including staff, students or outside persons or agencies in an identifiable way.
The experiences of youth and young people are very important to the data collected through the PiT count. In the 2023 counts, 47% of respondents experienced homelessness for the first time as a youth. Additionally, 68% of those who identified with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community reported a first experience of homelessness as a youth under the age of 25 years.
The survey is conducted on one school day, determined by each community. Surveys are done on paper. Pit Count project team members will deliver surveys, provide a brief orientation (<15 mins), and pick up survey packages at the end of the day.
The PiT Count in schools involves the administration of a survey with all students who are not currently staying with their parent, guardian or a recognized foster parent, or who are known to be staying with that parent or guardian temporarily and stay with others regularly. These others generally include a friend’s family or other family members who are not a parent or guardian. Sometimes, although rarely, these are students who are staying in shelters, vehicles or outside.
These Counts have been conducted in schools since 2018 in most areas of the province and provide important information about youth homelessness. You can find reports from the 2023 Point-in-Time Homeless Counts on the BC housing website. The PiT Count survey is anonymous, confidential, and voluntary.
This fall, PiT Counts will occur in the following communities:
- Nelson, November 7, 2024
- Cowichan Valley, November 13, 2024
- Prince George, November 13-20, 2024
- Nanaimo, November 26, 2024
- Kelowna (1st or 2nd week of November 2024)
In March and April 2025, 22Â additional PiT Counts will take place in the following communities:
- Greater Vancouver
- Greater Victoria
- Campbell River
- Comox Valley
- Cranbrook
- Dawson Creek
- Fort St. John
- Kitimat
- Merritt
- Parksville/Qualicum
- Penticton
- Port Alberni
- Powell River
- Prince Rupert
- Quesnel
- Salmon Arm
- Sechelt/Gibson
- Smithers
- Squamish
- Terrace
- Vernon
- Williams Lake
If you are interested and able to support the PiT Count in your school or community, please contact the Homelessness Services Association of BC, who can connect you with your Local Coordinator, stephen.dsouza@hsa-bc.ca.