As the city prepares to conduct its latest Point in Time count, advocates say the number of people facing homelessness in Yellowknife and across the territory is rising substantially. Major Tony Brushett, executive director of the Salvation Army, said that advocates and agencies believe there are about 400 people currently facing homelessness in the city of Yellowknife.
The PiT is considered a ‘snapshot’ of the number of people experiencing homeless at one point in time and place. The last PiT was released in April, showing that homeless is indeed on the rise by at least 5 per cent since 2021 in Yellowknife. The last PiT count showed that 327 people were experiencing homelessness on the night the data was collected in 2024.
“We suspect the number of people who will identify as homeless will come close to the 400 person mark, here in Yellowknife,” said Major Brushett.
“That’s a high percentage for a small city of 20, 000 people. So just getting the message out there, that there are a lot of people out there struggling.” he added.
The most recent full PiT count took place in fall 2024 in cities across the country including Yellowknife. The next full PiT is planned for 2027.
Something called “PiT enumerations” are taking place in 2025 and 2026. The federal government reports that these take place every year.
An enumeration is a snapshot or estimate of the number of people experiencing homelessness within a given geographical area on one single night. Researchers who gather this data also make note of the location where people spent the night, whether it be in shelters, transitional housing or unsheltered locations.
Brushett said he believes the rising cost of living along with after affects of the N.W.T.’s 2023 wildfires are major factors. The wildfires had devastating economic and psychological impacts on families and communities across the North.
Major Brushett sees the affects of the homeless crisis on a daily basis.
“It could be any one of us. So we shouldn’t be quick to judge people who are struggling.”
