Collaboration in data collection: A starting point for addressing homelessness in Northern Ontario
The Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA) Community of Interest hosted a webinar on June 23, 2021 on how community collaboration can help address homelessness.
The World Health Organization has stated that poverty is the single largest determinant of health. While the average life expectancy for Canadians is 77 to 82 years, it is only 34 to 47 for a homeless person. Housing is a basic human right, yet for many people in Ontario, adequate housing is out of their reach.
The Point in Time count (PiT count) is a data collection method that gathers essential information on individuals experiencing homelessness. In Thunder Bay, this data has informed the development of services and resources that aim both to end homelessness and to respond to the social determinants of health of homeless individuals.
In this webinar, Bonnie Krysowaty, researcher at the Lakehead Social Planning Council, describes the collective impact of the Thunder Bay and District-wide PiT count. This recording:
- provides an overview of the local Point in Time count data collection processes and partnerships
- describes key findings on the housing and health needs of people experiencing homelessness
- discusses actions organizations can take for moving forward on homelessness and health.
Collaboration in data collection: A starting point for addressing homelessness in Northern Ontario from EENet on Vimeo.
About the presenter
Bonnie Krysowaty is the researcher at the Lakehead Social Planning Council, as well as the coordinator of the Thunder Bay Poverty Reduction Strategy. Bonnie has been an advocate for the elimination of poverty and homelessness for many years. Her background includes 25 years as a bibliographic document manager focusing on land claims cases, especially in the Robinson Superior Treaty area. She also has worked with partners on the National Managed Alcohol Program evaluation, the feasibility of local supervised injection services, the creation of a wellness plan for children and youth in Thunder Bay, and other various research regarding housing and homelessness. Since completing her master’s degree in public health in 2012, Bonnie has been a Board member of the VAW shelter in Thunder Bay and has been involved in the creation and data collection and analysis of the local Street Outreach Services for the last seven years.