Street census will reveal staggering extent of Winnipeg’s homeless situation
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/11/2024 (343 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
I can’t imagine how bad the census numbers will be after some 200 volunteers fan out across Winnipeg this week to gather data and stories on the growing number of homeless people in the city.
The Winnipeg Street Census, funded by the federal government, is conducting its fourth on-the-ground analysis of homelessness. The organization not only attempts to give a snapshot of the number of people who are unhoused at any point in time, it also delves into some of the causes that led people there.
If the visible signs of homelessness in recent years in Winnipeg are any indication (the explosion of encampments around the city is startling), this year’s statistics will likely be shockingly high. And, as in past attempts to count the number of homeless people in Winnipeg, the data will likely underestimate the true extent of the problem.

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
If the visible signs of homelessness in recent years in Winnipeg are any indication, this year’s street census statistics will likely be shockingly high.
That’s because it’s virtually impossible to get an exact count of the homeless population. Even if Winnipeg Street Census had a more comprehensive approach to connect with homeless people, it would still miss many who either don’t want to participate or can’t because of mental-health or addictions issues.
The last homelessness census, conducted in 2022, connected with 1,250 homeless people in Winnipeg and gained demographic and other information about them.
That was down from the two previous censuses conducted in 2015 and 2018, where 1,400 and 1,519 homeless people, respectively, were identified. Part of the reason for the decline is the organization had fewer volunteers to conduct the census that year compared with the previous two, in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We must emphasize that the numbers in this report do not account for the full extent of homelessness and should not be regarded as a definitive enumeration of the whole population,” the 2022 report said. “We know that many more people are experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg than those we were able to connect with for this report.”
What’s different this year is there will be more volunteers reaching out to homeless people than in 2022. Also, for the first time, the census will be conducted over four days, instead of one. Volunteers will connect with homeless people in shelters, provisional accommodations and people living on the street.
This exercise is not just about counting the number of people who are unhoused. It’s about gathering information about the causes that led them there and gaining insight into preventative measures.
One of the most significant findings from past surveys is about half of homeless people had some connection to the child-welfare system. In the 2022 report, 50.2 per cent reported that they spent time in foster care, group homes or another Child and Family Services placement.
More than half of them, 54 per cent, first became homeless at age 18 or earlier. It’s a stark finding and further evidence of how our child-welfare system is failing people.
Meanwhile, Indigenous people represented 75 per cent of the unhoused population in the 2022 report. They were also less likely to access shelters than non-Indigenous people. So not only are Indigenous people grossly over-represented among the homeless after 150 years of marginalization, racism and coercive assimilation policies, many can’t even get the help or support non-Indigenous homeless people receive.
What the 2022 report also found is that homelessness is chronic for the majority of those on the street. More than half of respondents said they were homeless for more than 12 months and nearly half for at least 18 months.
“(This data indicates) that chronic homelessness is a severe problem affecting more than half the Winnipeg Street Census survey respondents,” the 2022 report said.
And what were the main causes? Not enough income for housing ranked the highest at 29.2 per cent. Conflict with a partner, friend, family, CFS or other ranked second at 25.5 per cent, followed by substance use at 18.3 per cent.
There were many other causes listed in the 2022 report. Among them were unsafe housing, mental-health issues, evictions and incarceration. The list is long and the challenges for government agencies significant.
The results of this year’s census will likely be astonishing. The numbers will almost certainly be high and the information gleaned from the surveys critical for policy-makers, as governments attempt to tackle what appears to be a growing problem.
The NDP government in Manitoba has vowed to end chronic homelessness over eight years. It’s a tall order. Studies like these will help the public determine whether the province is making any progress on that front.
tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca

Tom Brodbeck is an award-winning author and columnist with over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom.
Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press’s editing team reviews Tom’s columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press’s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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