The biennial Homeless Count provides the number of homeless individuals in Edmonton. The homeless count provides a point-in-time snapshot of the homeless community, as well as enables the monitoring of changes and trends in the homeless population over time.

2010 Homeless Count

On October 5, 2011 volunteers and agencies fanned out across the City of Edmonton to conduct a count of the city’s homeless.

From 5:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m., nearly 300 volunteers covered walking routes throughout the city, asking Edmontonians about their housing situation and identifying those currently experiencing homelessness. 

Key Findings

• 2421 individuals were identified as being homeless—a 21% decrease from the 3079 individuals counted in the 2008 Homeless Count
• 38% of those counted were observed to be Aboriginal
• Six in 10 of the absolute homeless were counted in the downtown area
• Six in 10 of the absolute homeless were counted at agencies and services
• 71 families, including 123 dependent children and 94 caregivers were counted
• An additional 43 youth under the age of 16 without a caregiver were also counted

Homeless Count Committee

A committee of community members and government officials meets regularly to carry out the planning process for this important date.

Methodology

The 2010 Homeless Count Committee applied the same methodology used in previous counts to ensure a reliable 'snapshot' of the homeless population. Utilizing the same methodology enables the monitoring of changes and trends of the homeless population, while keeping consistency in data collection. As part of its responsibility, however, the Committee also worked towards establishing a “best practices” method for future counts.