Community dashboard highlights rising need ahead of National Housing Day
As National Housing Day approaches on November 22, community advocates are urging the public to recognize the growing demand for safe, affordable housing across the country. In St. John’s, one local organization is taking a data-driven approach to make the issue impossible to ignore.
End Homelessness St. John’s has developed a real-time dashboard that tracks every known individual experiencing homelessness in the community. Executive Director Doug Pawson says the tool is designed to offer transparency and highlight the scale of the challenge.
“It really is a way for us to be transparent, and to ensure everyone knows what the need is,” Pawson says. “When we know better, we do better.”
National Housing Day is marked each year as an opportunity for communities to take stock of the issues affecting people struggling to secure stable housing. For Pawson and his team, the dashboard is one way to keep that reality front and centre.
The organization also monitors usage of the transitional supportive living facility on Airport Road. This month, 75 residents accessed the facility, with 31 successfully transitioning to other housing options.
With a new provincial government now in office, Pawson says he’s watching closely to see whether the ambitious housing-related commitments made during the election campaign will translate into action. End Homelessness St. John’s is hoping to see the development of a comprehensive provincial housing and homelessness strategy.