A call for volunteers is going out to help get an idea about how many people are homeless across Windsor-Essex.
The City of Windsor needs volunteers for the 2026 Windsor-Essex Point-in-Time (PiT) Count, taking place on October 20.
Every year, the federal government mandates municipalities funded through the Reaching Home program conduct a PiT count once a year to get a snapshot of homelessness and housing insecurity.
Volunteers help conduct surveys with individuals within the shelter system and those on the street who may be experiencing homelessness, with all the data collected used to help inform local policies, services, and support for those individuals.
Manager of Homelessness and Housing Support, Kelly Goz, says the PiT count in 2025 found that 794 people were experiencing homelessness across Windsor-Essex, which was a little bit higher than in 2024.
Goz says the Point-in-Time count is very important.
“It helps us to identify our trends year-over-year, even though this is just a snapshot one day in time. It helps us to understand where people are staying. It helps us to understand how many people are staying in our emergency shelters, and it helps us to better prepare our responses to address homelessness,” she says.
Goz says it’s just one night, but the volunteers can help us understand who is experiencing homelessness.
“It helps humanize the people that folks are experiencing out on the street when they’re walking to schools that are in their community and to understand some of the challenges that folks are experiencing when they are trying to access different supports and services,” she says.
Goz says they are in every part of the city and in every municipality in Essex County as part of this effort.
“Homelessness is a complex challenge that every community is facing, and Point-in-Time count is one tool that a municipality has to be able to look at trends year-over-year to see where we’re doing a good job and where we can make improvements,” she says.
The Point-in-Time count will take place from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. on October 20, rain or shine.
All volunteers will receive mandatory training prior to the event, covering survey procedures, health and safety protocols, and trauma-informed engagement practices. Volunteers will be supported by sector staff throughout the count, under the direction of the City of Windsor.
Click here for more information or to express interest in volunteering.
The deadline for registration is September 18, 2026.
Volunteer Role and Responsibilities
Volunteers will:
- Engage respectfully with individuals in public spaces;
- Administer standardized surveys throughout assigned routes;
- Uphold the confidentiality and dignity of all participants; and
- Follow all health, safety, and conduct protocols.
Qualifications
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Must be comfortable interacting with the public
- Must have strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Must be able to participate in outdoor activities that may involve up to 4 kilometres of travel during a shift
- Must complete a Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC); details provided upon selection
- Previous outreach or social services experience is considered an asset but not required