The final report is in on the homeless count in Hastings County.
It was presented to the Hastings-Quinte Community and Human Services Committee on Wednesday.
The count undertaken last April as part of a provincial enumeration, covered four communities, Belleville, Quinte West, Madoc Village and Bancroft.
It found 14% of the respondents had no shelter, 15% were in emergency shelter and 71% in temporary shelter.
Director of Community and Human Services Erin Rivers says the data will help.
Rivers says her department will act on the report.
Nearly half of those surveyed had been homeless for more than six months and one-quarter had been without a home all year.
The report shows adults aged 25 to 39 are significantly over-represented, compared to the general population of Hastings County.
There are approximately twice as many men experiencing homelessness as women. Eighty-six percent of people experiencing homelessness reported either the Ontario Disability Support Program or Ontario Works as their primary source of income.
The report concludes that “affordability and availability of housing are the primary barriers that people face in finding permanent housing.” When questioned, 95% answered that they wanted to get into permanent housing.
The study involved a total of 182 surveys representing a total of 211 individuals, including 15 families. Most of the surveys were conducted in Belleville and Quinte West.
