Number of homeless in Sudbury on rise, more visible in summer, researcher says

The number of homeless people across the region is on the rise, researchers at Laurentian University say.

Sometimes referred to as the "hidden homeless", certain factors are forcing them to becomemore visible on Sudbury's streets.

Carol Kauppi, Director, Centre for Research in Social Justice and Policy, and a professor of social work, describedthe hidden homeless as people who live under the national standards for living, either rooming in communal housing or in their own small room.

She said it's likely this segment of the population has been moving to the outdoors in recent weeks, to escape uncomfortable accommodations.

"Very often there's no running water in the room and it's overcrowded as well," Kauppi said. "People will share the cost of accommodation in the wintertime so there are many people in a room and then when the weather warms up they'll give up the room and move outside."

In her research with the city's homeless, Kauppi has also heard that many think it's healthier to live outdoors.

"And this is absolutely true because there are many health conditions that become problematic in overcrowded situations," she said. "Certainly with COVID-19 there were a lot of messages out there about avoiding circumstances where people are in overcrowded situations."

As for people's concerns that there are more homeless flocking to downtown, Kauppi said that is more a function of two elements: the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme heat warning.

"Homelessness is more visible in the summer in the sense that people are outdoors and more visible on the streets and coming in to use services," she said. " But [the research team] did a call around to service providers just to check in with them about what's going on during COVID-19."

She said her research indicates about 3,000 people are homeless or on the edge of homeless in Greater Sudbury.

"They've been saying the streets have been largely empty through the pandemic but homeless people are out there. They're either in bush camps or some of them have been bussed around to a hotel at night but brought back into the downtown during the day," she said.

"And so homelessness is more visible in that sense."

Kauppi said that with restrictions in place since the pandemic began, the homeless are also finding it more difficult to access basic services, like food and medicine.