Collaboration in data collection: A starting point for addressing homelessness in Northern Ontario
June 23, 2021 from 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Bonnie Krysowaty
Social Researcher and Coordinator of the Thunder Bay Poverty Reduction Strategy at the Lakehead Social Planning Council
The World Health Organization has stated that poverty is the single largest determinant of health. While the average life expectancy for Canadians is 77 to 82 years, it is only 34 to 47 for a homeless person. Housing is a basic human right, yet for many people in Ontario, adequate housing is out of their reach.
The Point in Time count (PiT count) is a data collection method that gathers essential information on individuals experiencing homelessness. In Thunder Bay, this data has informed the development of services and resources that aim both to end homelessness and to respond to the social determinants of health of homeless individuals.
In this webinar, Bonnie Krysowaty, researcher at the Lakehead Social Planning Council, will describe the collective impact of the Thunder Bay and District-wide PiT count. Bonnie will:
- provide an overview of the local Point in Time count data collection processes and partnerships
- describe key findings on the housing and health needs of people experiencing homelessness
- discuss actions organizations can take for moving forward on homelessness and health.
About the Speaker
Bonnie Krysowaty (she/her) is the researcher at the Lakehead Social Planning Council, as well as the coordinator of the Thunder Bay Poverty Reduction Strategy. Bonnie has been an advocate for the elimination of poverty and homelessness for many years. Her background includes 25 years as a bibliographic document manager focusing on land claims cases, especially in the Robinson Superior Treaty area. She also has worked with partners on the National Managed Alcohol Program evaluation, the feasibility of local supervised injection services, the creation of a wellness plan for children and youth in Thunder Bay, and other various research regarding housing and homelessness. Since completing her master’s degree in public health in 2012, Bonnie has been a Board member of the VAW shelter in Thunder Bay and has been involved in the creation and data collection and analysis of the local Street Outreach Services for the last seven years.
(Select "Register" at bottom of linked page.)
*If you need captioning or ASL interpretation to attend this webinar, please email us at healthequity@camh.ca by Monday, June 14.
Past webinar topics