National Homeless Survey slated for October

The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, through the Board of Supervision, will conduct the third National Homeless Survey from October 6 to 10 across all parishes.

The survey is a nationwide count of individuals experiencing homelessness, and was last conducted in 2017.

Data collection will be conducted in major towns and cities across Jamaica, with a focus on known ‘hotspots’ identified by Inspectors of Poor in each parish.

Secretary of the Board of Supervision, Treka Lewis, told JIS News that the survey aims to generate critical data to inform future policies and services for individuals experiencing homelessness across Jamaica.

“The survey is structured in such a way that it gives us more than just the number of persons who we will find living on the streets [and] who fit our definition of homelessness,” she said.

Lewis noted that individuals classified as homeless are those residing in spaces not intended for human habitation, such as bus parks, gullies, abandoned buildings, and similar locations.

She further informed that the survey, which will be administered through a structured questionnaire, will gather information on demographics, health status, educational attainment, reasons for homelessness, and access to government benefits, among other key indicators.

“We will also, from this survey, be able to provide geospatial information on the location of persons experiencing homelessness. So we can pick up the map and know that there is a concentration in a particular location and there is need for, maybe, another night shelter, or we [can] look somewhere else in another parish outside of the capital and we see that there’s probably a growing number here and we may need a drop-in centre,” Lewis stated.

She indicated that the survey will be conducted during early morning hours, prior to the daily dispersal of individuals.

“On the day, we ask for cooperation, we ask that persons are not scared or frightened because they see a team of persons advancing towards them. Our aim is only to collect information and the information that we collect will be treated confidentially,” Lewis urged.

She further shared that the Kobo Toolbox—a software platform enabling real-time data collection and analysis—will be used to administer the survey, which is expected to take approximately 7 to 10 minutes to complete.

The team from the Board of Supervision, which is spearheading the initiative, will be supported in the field by representatives from the Social Development Commission (SDC), Mental Health Officers from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and officers from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), who will provide security and reassurance.

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