Statistics were gathered over a 24 hour period in April of 2018 of which the results were given out today.
The Council of Yukon First Nations conducted Whitehorse’s second Point-in-Time (PiT) Homeless Count in April 2018 in association with the Yukon Planning Group on Homelessness and the Homelessness Partnering Strategy.
The results were released to a packed gazebo in Shipyard's park Wednesday afternoon where about 150 persons arrived for a community BBQ.
At least 195 people experienced homelessness on the freezing cold night of April 17th. Surveys were gathered by seeking participants in 3 emergency shelters, three transitional housing programs, three institutional settings, 13 service providers and organizations as well as 9 street routes.
It's been found that 82% of homeless persons are first nations. A statistic that is "Completely unacceptable in a community so small" says project implementation manager Kim Mechan.
The city’s first PiT Count took place in April 2016.
The PiT count is part of a national initiative, the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy, funded by the Employment and Social Development of Canada.
The full PiT Count report can be https://cyfn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/PiT-Count-2018-FINAL.pdf