Counting of homelessness in several cities in the region

Hundreds of people have crisscrossed the streets in all regions of Quebec on Tuesday evening, including Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, to count people in homelessness.

This census will update data on this growing phenomenon in recent years.

In the region, this count was carried out by street workers in collaboration with the university health and social services center (CIUSSS) in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean in the streets of Chicoutimi, Roberval and Dolbeau-Mistassini.

Street workers are key players in the enumeration. They are not volunteers, these are known faces, so people react relatively wellexplained the regional coordinator of the enumeration for the CiusssIsabelle Fortin.

In 2024, 243 people in homelessness were identified in the region.

According to Ms. Fortin, people in homelessness include the importance of the exercise and generally agree to answer questions.

The objective is not only to know the portrait of homelessness in the region, but also the reasons why these people find themselves in this situation and if they come from here or elsewhere. We also make sure to check whether the services offered by community organizations and the CIUSSS are adapted to their reality.

There is always the possibility that people can refuse the questionnaire, but I would tell you that we had a good answer and people are benevolent and agree to answer. They are given compensation of $ 10 in the form of a gift card. It sometimes allows them to motivate them to answer because it still takes 20 minutes to answerexplained Isabelle Fortin.

Lack of resources

The mayor of Roberval, Serge Bergeron, has been able to testify to the increase in the phenomenon in his municipality in recent years. He is also a member of the Imée Union Municipalities in Quebec (UMQ) Committee.

Serge Bergeron would like more sums to be allocated to the fight against roaming, in particular by increasing the number of affordable housing.

This is an important operation and there is no surprise when we learn that the itinerances are increasing. We only have to have the level of poverty that we live in our municipalities […] There is a good collaboration between community organizations […] But we feel that there is a limit somewhere because there are gaps and there are things we need to go further, he said at the microphone of Public square.

The result of the count should be known in the coming months.