Everyone Counts – Standards for Designated Community participation

Official title: Everyone Counts – A Guide to Point-in-Time Counts in Canada, 4^th Edition – Standards for participation

List of abbreviations

ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
CAB: Community Advisory Board
CE: Community Entity
CPP: Canada Pension Plan
DV: Domestic Violence
FASD: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
GIS: Guaranteed Income Supplement
GST: Goods and Services Tax
HIFIS: Homeless Individuals and Families Information System
HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HMIS: Homelessness Management Information System
HST: Harmonized Sales Tax
INFC: Infrastructure Canada
OAS: Old Age Security
PiT Count: Point-in-Time Count
PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
RCMP: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
RV: Recreational Vehicle
TB: Tuberculosis
VAC: Veterans Affairs Canada

Standards for participation in the enumeration and survey

The nationally-coordinated Point-in-Time (PiT) Count approach includes Core Standards for the methodology that guide how the enumeration and survey are conducted in participating communities, supporting a consistent data collection process across communities and over time. This consistency allows community organizations and governments to compare data over time and across regions. Recognizing the need to balance methodological rigour and community flexibility, the Core PiT Count approach includes Core Standards for consistency across communities, while allowing flexibility for the approach to be tailored to each community’s local context. The approach also includes Recommended Standards, based on effective practices used by communities in Canada. The PiT Count includes two components: the PiT Count Enumeration and the Survey on Homelessness.

PiT Count Enumeration

This is a count of how many people are experiencing homelessness in a community on a single night, including in shelters, transitional housing, and unsheltered locations, and takes place between October 1 and November 30.

Survey on Homelessness

This is a detailed survey administered directly to people experiencing homelessness that collects information on their demographics and experiences. Survey administration must begin between October 1 and November 31, and can last for up to one month.

Core standards

Core standard 1

The PiT Count enumeration refers to a single night between October 1 and November 30, and is conducted over a maximum of 24 hours. the Survey on Homelessness administration period begins within the same timeframe, and may extend up to one month. Consult the Guide to Point in Time Counts in Canada for more information.

Core standard 2

The PiT Count is led by the Reaching Home Community Entity (CE), the Indigenous Homelessness CE, a collaboration between the two, or by a third-party contracted to lead the PiT Count.

Core standard 3

The local implementation of the PiT Count is based on consultations with relevant local partners, including the CE, the Community Advisory Board (CAB), as well as the Indigenous Homelessness CE and CAB, where applicable. The local methodology is approved by the CE and Indigenous Homelessness CE, where applicable. In Designated Communities, the PiT Count lead is required to submit an interim report (using a template provided) to the Government of Canada describing the local methodology by August 31 of the year of the PiT Count.

Core standard 4

The Core Screening questions are used to determine whether respondents should be invited to participated in the detailed survey. The Core Survey questions are administered to individuals that are experiencing homelessness.

Core standard 5

Shelters for people experiencing homelessness are a part of the Core Locations and are included in both the enumeration and the survey.

Sheltered overnight locations include:

emergency shelters, including extreme weather shelters;
Domestic Violence (DV) shelters; and
hotel or motel rooms, which are supplied in lieu of shelter beds.

For the PiT Count enumeration, sheltered counts are based on the number of individuals staying in these locations on a single night. The enumeration for each shelter type should be reported as a separate component of sheltered counts. Counts for shelters are based on data collected by shelter data systems, where available (for example, HIFIS or other Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)), and reports of shelter occupancy for services that are not covered by HIFIS/HMIS data.

Core standard 6

Unsheltered settings are a part of the Core Locations and are included in both the enumeration and the survey.

Unsheltered overnight locations include:

public locations (e.g. streets, alleys, parks or other greenspaces);
encampments;
transit stations;
abandoned buildings;
vehicles; and
other outdoor locations where people experiencing homelessness are known to sleep.

For the PiT Count enumeration, unsheltered counts are determined via screening questions administered on the night of the PiT Count or the following day. Some communities also include observed homelessness for those who are unable or unwilling to answer the screening questions but who stay overnight in an unsheltered location. Teams should only use observed homelessness when they are unable to engage with someone and should use strict criteria (e.g. a person who is sleeping outside with their belongings) to avoid including individuals who are not experiencing homelessness.

The enumeration for encampments should be reported as a separate component of unsheltered counts. An encampment is an outdoor location with a group of visible structures that can take many forms, such as tents or shacks, where two or more individuals are staying. Enumeration in encampments may be completed earlier during the day of the enumeration, or the following day.

The unsheltered data collection process can cover the entire community, known locations within a community, a statistical sampling approach (typically in large communities), or a mixed of these.

Core standard 7

Transitional housing is a Core Location that must be included in both the enumeration and the survey.

For the PiT Count enumeration, transitional housing is defined as programs that are meant to be a step between homelessness and permanent housing. Transitional housing with stays guaranteed for longer than a year should not normally be included. This category can include people in transitional beds located within other services. These should be included only if the residents would otherwise be homeless.

Core standard 8

Although it is not possible to enumerate hidden homelessness using a PiT Count approach, people experiencing hidden homelessness should be screened into the Survey on Homelessness. Communities can consider approaches to increase the participation of people experiencing hidden homelessness, such as magnet events. Hidden homelessness can include those who are:

living temporarily with others, but without guarantee of continued residency or immediate prospects for accessing permanent housing (e.g. couch surfing);
people accessing short term, temporary rental accommodations without security of tenure and with no access to a safe and permanent residence (e.g. self-funded motel/hotel).

Because it is not possible to measure the extent of hidden homelessness using the PiT Count methodology, hidden homelessness is not a Core Location for the enumeration.

Core standard 9

Large communities may use a sampling approach for their shelter survey (e.g. a representative sample of the shelters or shelter residents), but they must explain their sampling strategy when reporting. Consult the section "Determining minimum sample size for survey administration" in the Guide for more guidance.

Core standard 10

The PiT Count lead is responsible for the quality of data collected.

Diligence must be exercised to prevent the duplication and ensure that each person is counted and surveyed only once. This could be through unique identifiers, mitigation efforts, survey scripts, and de-duplication of the data ( Section 5 in the Guide).

The lead is also responsible for ensuring that staff and volunteers receive the proper training, including instruction on:

PiT Count standards;
screening and survey procedures;
data management and privacy; and
personal safety.

Core standard 11

The results of the PiT Count are reported to the Government of Canada via HIFIS, or another approved tool. In order for the data to be integrated into the national database, data must be provided in a format consistent with that database. Please contact the Homelessness Policy Directorate’s data team at HPD.Data-Donnees.DPMI@infc.gc.ca for guidance on data submission. This information will contribute to the understanding of homelessness across Canada, and will not be used to publicly report on findings from individual communities.

Core standard 12

The results of the PiT Count are reviewed with PiT Count partners to support the interpretation and communication of the results. At a minimum, partners include the Designated Community CE and CAB, as well as the Indigenous Homelessness CE and CAB, or other Indigenous community partner, where appropriate.

Results are summarized and shared in a public report. Particular effort should be made to communicate the findings to those who work in the sector and those experiencing homelessness.

Recommended standards

Recommended standard 1

Stakeholders whose work is relevant to homelessness are consulted to develop the local community PiT Count approach (for example, to develop additional survey questions, to determine areas to be enumerated or surveyed, to plan magnet events for different populations such as hidden homelessness, youth, Indigenous, women, etc.). These stakeholders may include:

CABs;
Indigenous communities;
municipalities;
shelters and other homeless-sector service providers;
people with lived experience of homelessness;
local police and emergency services; and
transit authorities.

Cooperation with these sectors will contribute to the successful implementation of the PiT Count.

Recommended standard 2

Where possible, data from local public systems is included in the local PiT Count reports. This can include individuals with no fixed address in correctional facilities, juvenile detention centres, hospitals, detox centres. This should only include those whose release is imminent, who do not have a discharge plan that includes housing. This number is not included in the core enumeration, but survey data are submitted for inclusion in the national report.

Recommended standard 3

The PiT Count coordinator should work closely with the HMIS Lead or the lead for the community HMIS data, as well as any other local shelter data coordinator, where applicable. This facilitates the efficient transfer of accurate enumeration data for reporting.

Recommended standard 4

Where the municipality or province/territory has a requirement to enumerate and survey homelessness, the CE should work with them to ensure that the enumeration and survey meets local requirements. Additionally, the CE should ensure that the municipality and/or province/territory has access to all necessary data for their reporting requirement, where applicable. Even where data sharing is not necessary for reporting, sharing the results with partners and funders can help to raise awareness of the current state of homelessness in the community.

Recommended standard 5

While not part of the survey, it may be useful to track contextual data that helps to explain changes in the population between years. This can include information such as the:

rental vacancy rates;
number or rental properties;
number of people in core housing need; and
number of people in permanent supportive housing.

Core Screening Questions

The nationally-coordinated PiT Count approach includes a Short Survey, a set of common screening questions, that are asked across all participating communities. This determines whether someone is enumerated or, for the survey, can proceed to answer the Survey on Homelessness. You can find more information about these screening questions and how to ask them in the Guide to Point-in-Time Counts in Canada.

Screening Question A

Have you answered this survey with a person with this [identification for example, button]?

If a respondent answers “yes”, the survey would end here, and the respondent would be thanked for their participation.
If a respondent answers “no”, proceed to screening question B.

Screening Question B

Are you willing to participate in the survey?

If a respondent answers “yes”, proceed to screening question C.

If a respondent answers “no”, the survey would end here, the respondent would be tallied in the enumeration if the surveyor has reason to believe they are experiencing homelessness and the community is including observed homelessness , and thanked for their participation.

Screening Question C

Where are you staying tonight? / Where did you stay last night?

decline to answer
own apartment or house
someone else's place
motel/hotel self funded
hospital
treatment centre
jail, prison, remand centre
homeless shelter (for example, emergency, family or domestic violence shelter)
hotel or motel funded by city or homeless program
transitional shelter/housing
unsheltered in a public space (for example, street, park, bus shelter, forest or abandoned building)
encampment (for example, group of tents, makeshift shelters or other long-term outdoor settlements)
vehicle (for example, car, van, recreational vehicle (RV), truck, boat)
unsure: indicate probable location (b. to m.)

If a respondent answers a., the survey ends here, the respondent is tallied in the enumeration if the surveyor has reason to believe the respondent is experiencing homelessness and the community is including observed homelessness, and thanked for their participation.

If a respondent answers b., the survey ends here and the respondent is thanked for their participation.

If a respondent answers c. or d., the survey progresses to question C1 if the community is including hidden homelessness in the survey. Otherwise, the survey ends and the respondent is thanked for their participation.

If a respondent answers e. to g., the survey progresses to question C1 if the community is including systems homelessness in the survey. Otherwise, the survey ends and the respondent is thanked for their participation.

If a respondent answers h. to m., the Survey on Homelessness begins.

If a respondent answers n., the surveyor follows the instructions for the probable location indicated.

Screening Question C1 (Included in the Survey on Homelessness)

If answered c. to g. in screening question C, then ask “Do you have access to a permanent residence where you can safely stay as long as you want?”

yes
no (not permanent and/or not safe)
don't know
decline to answer

If a respondent answers a., thank and end the survey.

If a respondent answers b. or c., begin the Survey on Homelessness.

If a respondent answers d., the Short Survey ends, and the respondent is tallied in the enumeration if the community is including observed homelessness, and thanked for their participation.

Core Survey Questions

The answers to these survey questions are used by communities to help understand the experience of homelessness locally and to plan services to prevent and end homelessness. They also contribute to the understanding of homelessness across Canada. You can find more information about these questions and how to conduct the survey in the Guide to Point-in-Time Counts in Canada.

Survey Question 1

Have you spent at least one night in any of the following locations in the past year? (Check all that apply)

homeless shelter (for example, emergency, family or domestic violence shelter)
hotel/motel funded by city or homeless program
transitional shelter/housing
unsheltered in a public space (for example, street, park, bus shelter, forest, or abandoned building)
encampment (for example, group of tents, makeshift shelters or other long-term outdoor settlement)
vehicle (for example, car, van, recreational vehicle (RV), truck, boat)
someone else's place because you had nowhere else to go
hospital or other health facility
jail, prison, or other correctional facility
no
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 2

Do you have family members or anyone else who is staying with you tonight? / Did you have any family members or anyone else who stayed with you last night? (Indicate survey number for partners. Check all that apply)

none
partner (note survey number of partner)
child(ren) or dependent(s) [indicate age for each child/dependent]
pet(s)
other adult (can include other family or friends)
decline to answer

Survey Question 3

How old are you [or] What year were you born? (If unsure, ask for best estimate)

age (in years): [insert age]
or year: [insert year]
don't know
decline to answer

Script

For this survey, "homelessness" means any time when you have been without a permanent and secure place to live, and includes sleeping in shelters, on the streets, or living temporarily with others without having your own permanent housing (for example, couch surfing).

Survey Question 4

In total, for how much time have you experienced homelessness over the past year (the last 12 months)? (Does not need to be exact. Best estimate.)

length [insert number, indicating: days, weeks or months]
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 4b

In total, for how much time have you experienced homelessness over the past 3 years? (Does not need to be exact. Best estimate.)

less than half
about half or more
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 5

How old were you the first time you experienced homelessness?

age (in years): [insert age]
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 6

Did you come to Canada as an immigrant, refugee, asylum claimant (for example, applied for refugee status after coming to Canada), or through another process?

yes, immigrant
yes, refugee
yes, asylum claimant in Canada
yes, temporary foreign worker
yes, other work permit
yes, study permit
yes, temporary resident
yes, other (including undocumented)
no
don't know
decline to answer

[If yes] How long have you been in Canada?

length [insert number, indicating days, weeks, months or years]
or date [insert date] [day, month, year]
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 7

How long have you been in (community name)?

length [insert number, indicating days, weeks, months or years]
always been here
don't know
decline to answer

[If length indicated] Where did you live before you came here?

indicate city and province, territory or country [insert answer]
decline to answer

Survey Question 8

Do you identify as First Nations (with or without status), Métis, or Inuit? (If yes, please specify) (community note: The wording of this question can be adapted to what makes sense in your community, for example by listing specific First Nations)

yes, First Nations
yes, Inuit
yes, Métis
Indigenous Ancestry
no
don’t know
decline to answer

Survey Question 8b

In addition to your response in the question above, do you identify with any of the racial identities listed below? (Show or read list. Select all that apply).

identify as Indigenous only
Arab (for example, Syrian, Egyptian, Yemeni)
Asian-East (for example, Chinese, Korean, Japanese)
Asian-South-East (for example, Filipino, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Malaysian, Laotian)
Asian-South or Indo Caribbean (for example, Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Indo-Guyanese, Indo-Trinidadian)
Asian-West (for example, Iranian, Afghan)
Black-Canadian/American
Black-African (for example, Ghanaian, Ethiopian, Nigerian)
Black-Afro-Caribbean or Afro-Latinx (for example, Jamaican, Haitian, Afro-Brazilian)
Latin American (for example, Brazilian, Mexican, Chilean, Cuban)
White (for example, European, French, Ukrainian, Euro-Latinx)
not listed (please specify)
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 9

Have you ever served in the Canadian military or RCMP? [prompt: Military includes Canadian Navy, Army, and Air Force, Regular and Reserve, Army Rangers including completing basic training]

yes, Military
yes, RCMP
both Military and RCMP
no
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 10

As a child or youth, were you ever in foster care or in a youth group home (community note: include any other Provincial child welfare programs)? (Note: This question applies specifically to child welfare programs.)

yes
no
don’t know
decline to answer

Survey Question 11

Have you been experiencing difficulties related to any of the following:

illness or medical condition (for example, diabetes, tuberculosis (TB) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV))

yes
no
don't know
decline to answer

Physical mobility (for example, spinal cord injury, arthritis, or limited movement or dexterity)

yes
no
don't know
decline to answer

Learning, intellectual/developmental, or cognitive function (for example, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia or dementia)

yes
no
don't know
decline to answer

Acquired brain injury (for example, due to an accident, violence, overdose, stroke or brain tumour]

yes
no
don't know
decline to answer

Mental health (diagnosed/undiagnosed) (for example, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar, or schizophrenia)

yes
no
don't know
decline to answer

Substance use (for example, alcohol or opiates)

yes
no
don't know
decline to answer

Senses, such as seeing or hearing (for example, blindness or deafness)

yes
no
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 12

What gender do you identify with? (Show list or read list)

man
woman
two-spirit
trans woman
trans man
non-binary (genderqueer)
not listed: [insert answer]
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 13

How do you describe your sexual orientation, for example straight, gay, lesbian? (Show list or read list)

straight or heterosexual
gay
lesbian
bisexual
two-spirit
pansexual
asexual
queer
questioning
not listed: [insert answer]
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 14

What happened that caused you to lose your housing most recently? (Do not read the options. Check all that apply.

“Housing” does not include temporary arrangements (for example, couch surfing) or shelter stays. Follow up for the reason if the respondent says “eviction” or that they “chose to leave”.)

Housing and financial issues

not enough income for housing (for example, loss of benefit, income or job)
unfit/unsafe housing condition
building sold or renovated
owner moved in

Conflict with:

spouse/partner
parent/guardian
landlord
other [insert answer]

Experienced abuse by:

spouse/partner
parent/guardian
landlord
other [insert answer]

Experienced discrimination by:

spouse/partner
parent/guardian
landlord
other [insert answer]

Health or corrections

physical health issue/disability
mental health issue
substance use issue
hospitalization or treatment program
incarceration (jail or prison)

other

complaint (for example, noise/damage)
left the community/relocated
death or departure of family member
pet(s)
other reason [insert answer]
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 14b

Was your most recent housing loss related to an eviction?

yes
no
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 14c

How long ago did that happen (that you lost your housing most recently)? (Best estimate)

length [insert number, indicating days, weeks, months or years]
don't know
decline to answer

Survey Question 15

What are your sources of income? (Reminder that this survey is anonymous. Read list and check all that apply)

Formal or informal work

full time employment
part time employment
casual employment (for example, contract work)
informal income sources (for example, bottle returns, panhandling or sex work)

Benefits

Employment insurance
disability benefit (name of provincial disability benefit)
seniors benefits (for example, CPP, OAS or GIS)
welfare or social assistance (name of provincial benefit)
veteran or VAC benefits
child and family benefits
GST or HST refund

Other

money from family/friends
other money from a service agency
other: [insert answer]
no income
don't know
decline to answer

Contact us

If you have any questions about these standards, please contact us at hpd.data-donnees.dpmi@infc.gc.ca.

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