A homeless count will be done on March 12th in Duncan, North Cowichan, and the Cowichan Valley.
John Horn of the Cowichan Housing Association says there are three ways the count will be done.
There will be a magnet event at the Cowichan Valley Independent Living center on Canada Avenue in Duncan, where homeless people can come for something to eat, a health consultation, or get a haircut.
There will be teams going on foot in Duncan and North Cowichan to look for people who are living without homes.
There will also be teams using vehicles to drive around the Cowichan Valley to check parks and known camping areas during the count.
Horn says there were about one-hundred-and-50 people without housing found during the count in 2017, and they expect up to two-hundred, or more, this year.
As for the information gathered during the homeless count, Horn says they “use these numbers to make the case for additional resources: more supportive housing, more shelter beds, whatever the appropriate ask is, and within that, we use the data to design the type of service.”
If you would like to volunteer you are encouraged to go to the Cowichan Housing Association website.
