Ensure that demographic data drives program evaluation and delivery of services to the homeless population in St. John’s and municipalities of the Northeast Avalon.

End Homelessness St. John’s makes data-driven recommendations

In November 2024, End Homelessness St. John’s released its Community Plan to End Homelessness 2024-2028, which was developed from 97 interviews and 363 written submissions. The plan is informed by demographic data, and identifies 17 recommendations for all levels of government and sets explicit targets for reducing Indigenous homelessness. The demographic data which informs this plan includes Indigenous-specific data (see Call for Change 11 for more information). The methodology for the PiT count was developed in collaboration with First Light.

St. John’s currently in a housing crisis

As noted in Call for Change 11, the rate of homelessness has continued to climb with the demand for emergency shelters having increased by 5 times between 2020 and 2025. “At the same time, NLHC [Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation] reports little to no vacancy across its social housing portfolio, with waitlists nearly doubling from 1,523 in 2021 to 2,970 in 2024,” said End Homelessness St. John’s in a public statement. “Supportive and transitional housing options are similarly constrained, with waitlists approaching 466 individuals.” First Light staff continue to observe that the need for emergency shelter is far greater than the number of available beds and that Indigenous community members face threats to their own safety when attempting to access emergency shelters.

Horizons at 106, a transitional housing facility with 75 beds, is set to close after December 31, 2026. This shelter was established following Tent City for Change, a combination of protest and encampment that began at the Confederation Building grounds and later moved to the Colonial Building grounds. While the provincial government defends the decision to close Horizons on the basis of fiscal responsibility, there has been no clear plan announced to provide housing for those currently homeless. Without a plan, those currently living at Horizons will lose their housing in January 2027.

Even among those who have housing, poverty indicators suggest that the risk of homelessness in NL is high. 39% of people across the province are paying over 30% of their income on housing costs. This exacerbates the overall cost of living crisis – Newfoundlanders and Labradorians already spend 62% of their income on essential costs. This high percentage places the province among the worst nationally. These indicators of poverty point to the precarity of housing in this province, suggesting that without action the rate of homelessness will only continue to rise.

For First Light:

• Collaborate with service delivery agencies to ensure that Indigenous residents in nonmarket housing have access to culturally appropriate programming and spaces.