Children make up one-fifth of Saskatoon’s homeless population, according to a survey conducted earlier this week.
A rough count by the Saskatoon United Way volunteers shows 372 people were homeless in Saskatoon on Sept. 24.
The count said 103 people were sleeping outdoors, while 269 more were staying in shelters, motels or transition housing. Children accounted for 78 of the people counted during the survey, while males represented almost two-thirds of the total number of homeless.
“We know this number will disturb many people in our city but it is important that we address this issue,” said United Way executive director Sheri Benson othe United Way said in a news release.
The United Way is leading a group of community agencies to develop a 10-year plan to end homelessness in the city.
A 2008 survey using similar methodology counted 261 homeless people in Saskatoon including 32 children.
“We know from other cities like Calgary that an economic boom creates homelessness,” Benson said. “We believe Saskatoon needs to address our homeless problem early in this period of significant growth before our numbers climb even higher.”
A full report will be compiled in the coming weeks by the Community-University Institute of Social Research.
