Chronic homelessness is very visible in Winnipeg, but figures released in the spring may have greatly inflated the number of people living on the city’s streets, riverbanks and in shelters. Based on a federal data source, End Homelessness Winnipeg previously reported that as of the end of March, about 4,400 people were experiencing chronic homelessness, and about 8,200 people who were accessing services had no stable housing. But CTV News has confirmed revised statistics show those numbers are closer to 436 and 2,200, respectively, a significant difference. End Homelessness Winnipeg says it identified anomalies in the federal data system in July and August. It says files remained active despite extended periods in which a person had no contact with service providers. CTV News has reached out to the federal Homeless Individuals and Families Information System. A media spokesperson says they are working on a response. Premier Wab Kinew and Mayor Scott Gillingham both said they had already been told about the error. “We’ve known about this for a little while,” Kinew said. “My understanding is that there was a glitch,” Gillingham said. “I’m glad now that we have more accurate data.” In a statement, however, End Homelessness Winnipeg also said the revised numbers are not necessarily accurate either, as they captured only a single day early in the “data-cleansing process.” “They are not and have never been verified replacement figures, which is why they were not communicated publicly. At this time we do not have confidence in either the previously published figures or these preliminary numbers,” the organization said. The organization says the 2024 Street Census is the most reliable data available. That report estimated 2,469 people were experiencing homelessness.
