Thunder Bay — April 2025 – Thunder Bay’s 2024 Point-in-Time (PiT) Homeless Count has revealed a more detailed and inclusive snapshot of homelessness in our city than ever before. The results reflect both the ongoing housing crisis and the complex challenges many face, from intergenerational trauma to health disparities and systemic inequality.
The most recent survey reports that there were at least 557 people who were experiencing homelessness. 78 per cent self identified as Indigenous.
There were 122 people living in emergency shelters, an equal number to those living in tent encampments. 100 of the homeless reported they were couch surfing. Another 100 said they were simply living outdoors.
Only 22 were living in transitional housing. 5 said they were living in a vehicle.
The count most likely represents a lower number than the reality of homeless in our city really are.
Survey Points to Systemic Failure in Child Welfare Agencies
The 2024 Thunder Bay Point-in-Time (PiT) Count revealed a troubling link between the child welfare system and pathways into homelessness—signaling systemic breakdowns in care and transition planning for youth aging out of foster or group home environments.
Key Findings:
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43% of respondents reported having spent time in foster care or group homes.
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11% became homeless within a year of aging out of care.
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32% said Child Protection Services were not helpful in transitioning them to independent living.
These figures expose a stark reality: the child welfare system is, for many, not a bridge to stability—but a pipeline into homelessness.
The “Aging Out” Crisis
Youth in care face significant challenges as they approach the age of majority (often 18 or 21, depending on jurisdiction). Without permanent family connections, stable housing, or consistent access to education or employment opportunities, many young people exit the system unprepared for the real world.
What this means in Thunder Bay—where housing is already scarce, support services are overstretched, and poverty rates among youth are high—is that vulnerable young people are essentially pushed into survival mode.
“The system sets them up to fail,” one PiT volunteer noted. “They’re handed a bus ticket, a bit of money, and told to figure it out.”
Lack of Transitional Support
The data also reflects the absence of trauma-informed, wraparound supports during the critical transition period. One in three respondents said Child Protection Services did not help them navigate life after care.
This includes:
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No guaranteed access to safe, affordable housing
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Limited mental health or addiction support
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Gaps in employment training or income assistance
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No long-term mentoring or aftercare planning
Without intentional, long-term supports, these youth face overwhelming odds. Many resort to couch-surfing, temporary shelters, or street living within months of leaving care.
Disproportionate Impact on Indigenous Youth
This failure is especially pronounced among Indigenous youth, who are significantly overrepresented in both the child welfare system and among those experiencing homelessness. Colonization, systemic racism, and intergenerational trauma have created cycles of displacement and marginalization that the current system continues to perpetuate.
In Thunder Bay, this is not just a statistic—it’s a visible, ongoing crisis with roots that run deep into policy and history.
This count is conducted every few years in Reaching Home-funded communities across Canada, PiT counts aim to track the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night.
The 2024 national effort included 60 communities. In Thunder Bay, the initiative was co-led by the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre (TBIFC) and the Lakehead Social Planning Council (LSPC), with added emphasis on Indigenous leadership and culturally safe outreach.
What is the PiT Count?
The PiT count is a national strategy that provides critical data to inform policy decisions and improve community-based strategies to reduce homelessness. It involves identifying and surveying individuals living without stable housing—including those sleeping outdoors, in shelters, transitional housing, or temporary spaces.
This year’s count built on previous Thunder Bay efforts in 2016, 2018, and 2021. However, improved methodology and stronger community partnerships helped make the 2024 count the most comprehensive yet.
Local Partnerships, Real Insights
With TBIFC representing the Indigenous Community Entity (ICE) and the LSPC as the Designated Community Entity (DCE), the 2024 count placed strong emphasis on equity, trust, and cultural competence. Three main “magnet” sites—TBIFC, Elevate NWO, and PACE—provided safe, accessible environments where participants could complete surveys, receive health care, access food, and find temporary warmth.
Outreach workers also engaged with people in tent villages, encampments, and on city streets to ensure those often overlooked were included.
In total, 121 trained volunteers, most of whom work in frontline community services, participated in the count. Their real-time knowledge of the community allowed them to refer participants to immediate supports—housing, food, health care, or harm reduction services.
Barriers Beyond Shelter
Thunder Bay’s homelessness crisis is shaped by several intersecting challenges:
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A severe shortage of affordable housing
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High unemployment and inflation
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The lasting impacts of COVID-19
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Disproportionate representation of Indigenous people, rooted in intergenerational trauma and systemic barriers
The 2023 HIFIS report estimated over 1,100 individuals in Thunder Bay experience homelessness each year, including those in overcrowded or unsafe conditions.
A Health Crisis, Too
Elevate NWO’s contribution to the 2024 count included a parallel health initiative offering point-of-care testing for HIV, HCV, and other blood-borne infections. The organization also deployed nurses and practitioners for on-site triage and follow-up care. This was essential, as people experiencing homelessness face significant barriers to medical care—despite being at higher risk for infection and chronic illness.
Early detection through testing not only improves health outcomes for individuals but also reduces long-term costs to the health system and the wider community.
Culturally Grounded, Community-Driven
This year’s approach reflects an increasing understanding that addressing homelessness in Thunder Bay requires Indigenous leadership and trauma-informed care. The presence of Elders, Indigenous language interpreters, and culturally grounded support services helped make the count more accessible and respectful.
Honoraria of $10 per completed survey ensured participants felt their time and experience were valued, while magnet sites offered essential services beyond data collection—including food, shelter, and connection to long-term support.
Looking Ahead: Toward a Collective Response
One of the most valuable outcomes of the PiT Count is the opportunity for collaboration. Through joint leadership between government, health providers, Indigenous organizations, and service agencies, Thunder Bay can take a collective impact approach—ensuring strategies are aligned, resources are shared, and solutions are driven by both evidence and lived experience.
As one quote from the 2024 report reminds us:
“Don’t try to drive the homeless into places we find suitable. Help them survive in places they find suitable.” — Daniel Quinn
A Call to Action
These PiT Count findings underscore the urgent need to reform child welfare systems and fund comprehensive aftercare transition programs, particularly those developed and delivered by Indigenous organizations.
Key policy recommendations include:
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Extended supports for youth leaving care until at least age 25
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Guaranteed housing placements as part of aging out
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Culturally appropriate programming, especially for Indigenous youth
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Integrated support systems involving mental health, employment, and life skills training
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Peer and mentorship networks for stability and connection
If the goal is to end chronic homelessness, any serious effort must start with fixing the cracks that youth fall through as they exit the care system—often alone, unsupported, and unheard.
“The system says we’re adults at 18, but we were never given the tools to grow up.” — Former youth in care, 2024 PiT Count participant
By listening first, acting collaboratively, and keeping our focus on dignity and inclusion, we can move closer to a Thunder Bay where everyone has a safe place to call home.
