Results from a survey in Renfrew County paints a picture of homelessness in the region, but may not tell the whole story. The County of Renfrew Community Services Department conducted a Point in Time Count on September 18th, 2022, to measure and understand the circumstances of people who are experiencing homelessness.
The County of Renfrew has also partnered with Built for Zero Canada and created a “By-Name List Survey” to better know every person experiencing homelessness by name, to understand their unique needs, and to prioritize services and housing supports.
The Point-in-Time Count on September 18th included 43 homeless people in Renfrew County. As part of the County Council meeting on January 25th, Laura LePine, the Director of Community Services for the County of Renfrew, said the number of people experiencing homelessness is not completely reflected with the survey results. LePine told elected officials they know there’s more than 43 homeless people in Renfrew County as not everyone wants to participate in these surveys. 30% of the homeless individuals who filled out the survey identified themselves as Indigenous and over half said physical limitations are a contributing factor to being homeless.
Point-in-Time Count Survey Results on Homelessness in Renfrew County
Length of time homeless
- 53% were homeless for more than 6 months
- 44% were homeless for six months or less
- 2% undisclosed
Reasons for homelessness
- Evicted 30%
- Relationship Breakdown 26%
- Kicked Out 12%
- Other Reasons 23%
- Undisclosed 9%
Age Group
- Adults (30-64) – 65%
- Youth (16-29) – 21%
- Senior (65+) – 9%
- Undisclosed – 5%
Contributing Factors
- Physical limitations – 53%
- Medical Condition – 44%
- Mental Health – 40%
- Substance Abuse – 33%
- Cognitive Limitations – 19%
Gender
- Male – 58%
- Female – 28%
- Undisclosed – 9%
- Non-Binary – 2%
- Other – 2%
(written by: Rudy Kadlec)