Windsor's 2024 homeless count more than doubled previous tallies

The most recent and most comprehensive count of homelessness in Windsor tallied 672 people — hundreds of people more than previous counts, according to a new city report.

The figure was determined by a federally-mandated survey known as a "point-in-time count," conducted by a contracted consultant over the course of four weeks in October 2024.

The study included a "street count" of people living in unsheltered locations like parks, and encampments, as well as those using emergency shelters, provincially-funded institutions and transitional housing.

Kelly Goz, the city's manager of homelessness and housing support, said the point-in-time, or PIT, count provides a snapshot of the issue in the community — but steps to change that snapshot will need to be more pro-active.

"Obviously, early intervention measures and working upstream are what's going to get us ahead of this curve," Goz told council on Monday.

In 2021, the 'point-in-time count' identified 251 homeless people in Windsor.

The new report emphasizes that the 2024 figure was affected by a significantly longer survey period: The 2016, 2018, and 2021 counts each had a duration of only one week in the spring, compared to four weeks in the fall of 2024.

"As a result, the survey data obtained for 2024 is not solely indicative of an increase from previous years, but rather, increased participation and better data collection methods," the report states.

But Dana Paladino, the city's acting commissioner of human and health services, acknowledged that Windsor's homeless population seems to be growing.

"We only know the information that comes into us ... I think in this [point-in-time] count, you have a methodology change — but I also think there probably is an increase in homelessness," Paladino told council.

"I think it's a challenge we're seeing throughout Canada, not just specific to us."

As part of the study, people were asked questions in an attempt to gain further insight into the composition of the homeless population in the community.

Of those counted, 62 per cent were male, 34 per cent were female, and four per cent identified as trans, non-binary, or another gender identity.

57 per cent were single, adult males between 25 and 49 years old.

The report notes that 35 respondents were 60 years of age or older — compared to just nine people in that category in the 2021 count.

At the same time, 41 per cent of people surveyed said they first experienced homelessness by the time they were 24.

Of those who answered a question about the cause of their homelessness, 27 per cent said it was income, 21 per cent said it was a conflict with a significant other, and the remainder pointed to a variety of factors including landlord disputes, escaping abuse or an unsafe environment and previous incarceration.

"Although mental health and substance use concerns were commonly identified by survey respondents, the majority of those surveyed did not indicate those as primary drivers of homelessness," the report states.

Goz reminded council that the survey does not examine the validity of the responses.

"At the root of everything, homelessness is a result of untreated trauma," she said.

279 respondents met the federal criteria for chronic homelessness — defined as individuals who have experienced at least six months of homelessness over the past year, or at least 18 months of homelessness over the past three years.

Kenroy Drummond, a homeless man who has been staying at the Downtown Mission, told CBC Windsor that he's been trying to overcome his drug addiction. A former steel worker, Drummond said he knows drugs have cost him his family.

"Every time I do it, I do it to numb how I feel," he admitted. "There's so [many] things that I want to do, but I'm stuck trying to put it behind me."

Ward 8 Coun. Gary Kaschak noted that 19 per cent of respondents said they arrived in Windsor within a year of the survey date. Reasons given included access to local services, emergency shelters, and social connections.

"Is there any way we can address this, and not just keep having this influx of out-of-towners here?" Kaschak asked council. "And I see that they like that we have such good social services here."

But Goz said the data does not indicate Windsor is becoming a major migration draw for the homeless: The majority of respondents said they had been living in Windsor 10 years or more, and other data suggests around 10 vulnerable people leave the city every month.

"What you don't see [in the report] is the number of people who have exited Windsor-Essex and have gone up the 401 to other communities across Ontario — or to other provinces, which we also know to be true," Goz said.

As part of federal direction to get a better grasp on the homelessness issue, 'point-in-time counts' will be conducted more frequently.

Street counts will happen every year, with Windsor's next set for this October.

Full surveys of the homeless with questionnaires will be done every three years. Windsor's next is scheduled for October 2027.