SASKATOON — Data from the 2024 Point-in-Time Count revealed an increase of more than eight per cent among children aged zero to 12 experiencing homelessness, while over 80 per cent of the city’s homeless population are Indigenous — despite only 12 per cent of Saskatoon’s population identifying as Indigenous.
The PIT Count was conducted on Oct. 8, 2024, and found 1,499 people experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The community report was released Tuesday, May 27, by City Planning and Development director Lesley Anderson at Station 20 West.
“We all know that the prevalence of homelessness has become very evident in our community, as it has in most cities across Canada. [The PIT Count] documented at least 1,499 people are experiencing homelessness and housing instability,” said Anderson.
“We also saw a rise in the number of children, from 26 in 2022 to 315 in 2024, which makes this very troubling. The numbers also continue to show an over-representation of Indigenous people experiencing homelessness.”
Anderson added that the number of people experiencing homelessness has tripled since 2022, with approximately five individuals per 1,000 residents now unhoused. Of those surveyed, 80 per cent identified as Indigenous.
She said addiction was the primary contributor to homelessness. Insufficient income due to the rising cost of living also impacted many individuals' ability to access permanent housing.
Twenty-three per cent of respondents cited conflict with partners or guardians — stemming from various types of abuse, health issues and involvement with the corrections system — as contributing factors.
Of the 1,499 individuals counted, 50.1 per cent were adults aged 25 to 64. Youth aged 13 to 24 made up 11.71 per cent, children aged zero to 12 accounted for 21 per cent, and seniors over 65 made up 1.7 per cent.
Response plan
Anderson said the city is now working under the federal government’s Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative, after city council approved funding for the Community Encampment Response Plan in December.
“We are still working very quickly with that proposal to advance new supportive housing with some additional services to respond to the need that we see on our streets. We hope to have a more formal announcement later in the next couple of months,” she said.
Earlier this year, the federal government committed $91 million over two years to agreements with 11 municipalities, including a combined $8 million for Saskatoon and Regina to address homelessness.
The funding is intended to support encampment response plans, the creation of new shelter spaces, and expansion of transitional housing in municipalities including Toronto, Durham, Peel, York, Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo, Ottawa and Sudbury.
Various locations
Anderson said the PIT Count ensures coverage of all community facilities, including transitional and supportive housing — especially those accommodating children in temporary housing.
“Some of those children, a large number of those children, are in transitional and supportive housing. But that has a very limited time frame. That’s typically a 90-day stay. It’s not secure. It’s not long-term. It doesn’t provide for that stability,” she said.
“We do know that there are both children who are on the street who are with either their families or some alone, and then there are several children who are in some of those transitional and supportive housing.”
She clarified that PIT Count numbers do not directly reflect the number of people using services at Saskatoon’s food banks. However, she acknowledged that many people facing food insecurity also visit those facilities.
“We have a location at the food bank for this count. We recognize that, given the increasing number of people experiencing income insecurity and the challenges associated with the cost of living, the food bank is one of our critical community partners,” said Anderson.
