While 21 of the 44 identified homeless people in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) as of February 1 were living in the Town of Hawkesbury, the number of homeless people living in the other seven UCPR municipalities was much smaller. According to United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) Housing Stability Coordinator Nadia Séguin, six people identified as homeless in Russell Township, four people were homeless in Champlain Township, and three were homeless in Alfred and Plantagenet. There were two homeless people in Casselman, and one each in The Nation and East Hawkesbury as of February 1. Five of the identified homeless people had moved out of Prescott-Russell.
Thirty of the homeless people in Prescott-Russell are adults. There are 11 families with children, and three are homeless youth between the ages of 16 and 25.
The Department of Social Services reported that 27 of the homeless people across the counties found accommodation by “couch surfing,” where they lived transiently in the homes of friends or family, and six have lodging in residences or shelters.
Homeless people in Prescott-Russell are largely reliant on various social programs for income. Out of the 44 people identified as homeless as of February 1, 16 were receiving income from the Ontario Disability Support Program, 14 from Ontario Works (welfare), four from the Canada Pension Plan, three people had full-time jobs, one person had a part-time job, one person was receiving Employment Insurance benefits, and one person was receiving assistance from an unnamed other agency. Four of the homeless people in Prescott-Russell had no source of income at all.
The homeless individuals identified various barriers they had which prevented them from having permanent places to live. Housing issues were identified as the reason by 20 people, followed by 15 people who identified family difficulties. Legal issues were identified by four people, and three people identified interpersonal issues. Financial issues were identified by only two people as their barriers to housing.
