| Calgary Herald |
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A group of homeless Calgarians sits on a sidewalk near the drop-in centre, with their belongings -- mostly blankets and extra clothes stuffed into shopping carts -- scattered around them.
They are less than a hundred steps from the shelter, which has space for 1,100 people.
Yet the majority of them never go inside, preferring instead to sleep together under the nearby 5th Avenue S.E. overpass.
"I live outside because I choose to, because they cannot give me what I want," said Myles Deacon, one of the members of the group. "Me and my significant other cannot sleep together in any homeless shelter.
"They split you up."
Samantha, who fled domestic violence and didn't want her last name published, said she sleeps outside with the group because she feels safer with them.
Others suggested it's simply too crowded inside.
The group -- which includes two women -- is representative of a survey released Tuesday that found there are at least 338 homeless Calgarians who "sleep rough," or make their beds in the streets, parks, alleys, doorways, riverbanks or vacant lots.
The physical count, which took place in the downtown between 9 p.m. and midnight on May 14, showed that those who sleep outside chose not to stay in shelters for many reasons, including the desire to: sleep with their partner, remain with their pets, avoid large crowds, or use drugs and alcohol.
Linda McLean, director of program services with the Calgary Drop-In Centre, which shelters mostly single men, said the centre "would love" to be able to help those sleeping outdoors.
"Right now, it's a numbers game. There is a need for expanded outreach services."
Of the 338 people counted by the shelter staff and volunteers, 274 were men and 58 were women -- meaning a higher ratio of women sleep outdoors than in shelters, although no one was able to explain why. The other six were counted while they slept covered in blankets or jackets so it was unknown whether they were male or female.
Those counted ranged in age from five years old to 65 years old, although the average was between 22 and 44.
Mandy Loates, a third-year nursing student who volunteered to help count, said it opened her eyes to a whole new world.
"It was interesting to see how many were working and had no home," she said, noting there was one group of men who were construction workers. "They were building houses for other people, but didn't have one of their own."
Loates was also surprised they found a pregnant woman sleeping outdoors on her own.
"It's important to remember that that can be anybody out there," she said.
The physical count was conducted by the shelters after the City of Calgary decided it wouldn't manually count the homeless sleeping outside during its biennial census, also on May 14.
Instead, the city used an estimate of the population of street homeless using a formula tested with past counts.
The City of Calgary count showed there were 4,060 homeless Calgarians, up from 3,486 in 2006.
Most were staying in shelters, but they estimated there was 569 people living and sleeping on the street, based on the formula. Officials involved with the physical count said they wanted to talk to the homeless people who aren't using the shelters to sleep.
"There was a bit of an intuitive sense that something might be missing from that," McLean said. "We felt it was really critical . . . for those voices to be heard."
However, she acknowledged that they weren't able to talk to everyone who sleeps rough, partly because some homeless people have moved out of the downtown core to outlying communities to avoid being ticketed for loitering or panhandling.
Estimates, based on conversations with the homeless Calgarians, put the number closer to 1,000.
The report, which will be taken to the legislature by Liberal MLA Harry Chase, also makes recommendations
In addition, the report said there is a need for a "Rough Sleepers Strategy" to reduce the number of people on the streets and increase the options for them. Similar strategies are in place in many European cities.
cderworiz@thehe
