In 2006, Niagara Region Community Services staff worked with 1,291 families experiencing different types of homelessness. Homelessness means one does not have a usual and safe place to call home and to return to at the end of the day. Such homelessness could involve sleeping on the street, in a shelter or on a couch in other people’s homes. 

 

 

Table 17  Housing Incidences Addressed by Niagara Community and Social Services Staff, 2007

 

Housing Incidences Addressed # families reported
Families experiencing homelessness 1291
Families living in temporary accommodation   687
Families living on the street   610
Families facing imminent risk or risk of homelessness   505
Families relocating from the street to temporary accommodation   167
Families relocating from temporary to permanent housing     77

Source: Survey conducted by Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA)

 

Figure 8 Total shelter Usage 2001-2003 (Niagara Region)

 

Shelter use has increased substantially since 2001. The total number of clients has increased by 144.4% since 2001 (from 1,278 to 3,123 in 2003). The largest increase was noted for females, increasing from 178 in 2001 to 572 in 2003, a 221.3% increase. Source: http://www.regional.niagara.on.ca/living/saeo/hostels-homeless.aspx and http://www.nrh.ca/images/Niagara%20Region%20Summary%20Document.pdf
The figure does not include data from independent hostels/shelters (i.e. Out of the Cold), Community Services contracts with agencies for shelter placement and hostels such as Matthew House, Casa El Notre and the YWCA in St. Catharines.

 

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