Homeless survey finds 137 people in Sydney area without a place to live

A survey of homelessness done this spring in Cape Breton Regional Municipalityfound137 people without permanent residences including some who were livingin places "not fit for human habitation."

Those numbers, presented to regional council Tuesday, are shocking, says FredDeveaux, executive director of theCape Breton Community Housing Association.

"Twenty-fourof those individuals were sleeping outside or in a place not fit for human habitation," he told council.

"There were another 30 in shelters,17 were in non-permanent transitional housing,36 were in transitional facilities such as ElizabethFry or HowardHouseand there were 30 couch-surfing on that day, so they were staying with friends orfamily."

Very serious problem

The survey resultspointto a very serious problem in theCBRM, Deveaux said.

"We thought that the numbers of individuals who were actually sleeping outside would be lower because it's not a problem that we can see inCBRM,people sleeping in the streets," he said."But it's occurring."

The survey was done by volunteers in April.

"Nineteenpercent of individuals we saw that day were youth under the ages of 24. Another 24 percent were over the age of 55. We saw more women who were homeless on that day than men and there was an over-representation of First Nation's people as well,"Deveauxsaid.

'CBRMis fully prepared to co-operate'

He urgedregional council to help the groupcreate a housing strategy.

Mayor Cecil Clarke says council is happy to partner with the group and help in any way itcan.

"The CBRMis fully prepared to co-operate and help facilitate the strategy as a partner and be an advocate for the outcomes," he told Deveaux."Andif necessary, to be a conduit for receiving federal and provincial resourcesto distribute locally."

The housing association's survey is part of a moreextensive study, Deveaux said.

More findings will be unveiled tothe federal government later this summer with the development of anational housing strategy, he said.