Return of Winnipeg Street Census will help break down stigma, organizers say

After a two-year pandemic hiatus, volunteers were back on the street Wednesday for the 2022 Winnipeg Street Census.

Around 300 volunteers were out collecting data for the census, which is designed to provide a one-day snapshot of homelessness in the city.

"There is such a great stigma towards people who are homeless," said Al Wiebe, a neighbourhood organizer. "What the survey does, and what the street census does is it tends to break down some of those stigmas.”

The goal of the census is to interview as many people as possible during a 24-hour period to better understand who is at risk of becoming homeless and why.

"The outcomes, the results of the street census will help us as an organization and as a community to bring greater awareness and education, but also improve planning and strategies to prevent people from becoming homeless," said Jason Whitford, CEO of End Homelessness Winnipeg.

End Homelessness Winnipeg said the 2022 street census is the first comprehensive point-in-time count for Winnipeg since the start of the pandemic.

Whitford said the results of the street census will be released in October.