Lloydminster will conduct its 2026 Point-in-Time Homeless Count on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 8 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

The count gives a snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness in the city at a specific point in time, the City of Lloydminster said in a release Tuesday.

Lloydminster is one of a small number of rural communities across Canada selected to take part in the federally co-ordinated count this year.

The city will use both survey and enumeration methods to reach people staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing, and health and correctional systems.

Volunteers will also canvass unsheltered locations, including encampments, abandoned buildings, alleys and streets.

The city has been working with local organizations to spread the word about the count and encourage participation.

Lloydminster last conducted a PiT count on Oct. 23, 2024. That count identified approximately 246 people experiencing homelessness in the city.

Of those surveyed in 2024, 91 per cent said they wanted to transition into permanent housing. Low income and high rent were the most common barriers to finding it.

What the 2024 count found

Of the people surveyed in 2024, 46 per cent cited low income and 42 per cent cited high rent as their main barriers to securing housing, according to the city’s results, released in December 2024.

Sixty-nine per cent of those surveyed had lived in Lloydminster for one year or more before the count, the data show.

The 2024 count broke down where the 246 individuals were staying on the night of Oct. 23. Transitional living arrangements, including programs like Residents in Recovery and Catholic Social Services, accounted for 76 people, the largest single category.

Another 62 people were unsheltered, including those staying in vehicles and encampments. Emergency shelters housed 41 people, and 28 were couch surfing.

Smaller numbers were counted in public systems such as Jordan’s Principle programs, in self-funded hotels or motels, and in an RCMP holding cell. Seventeen people gave responses that left their location unclear.

Housing and homelessness is one of seven community priorities identified through the city’s 2022 Lloyd Needs social assessment, which shapes the city’s broader Social Policy Framework.

Results from the 2024 count are posted at Lloydminster.ca/LloydNeeds.

Residents with questions can contact Social Programs and Services at 780-875-6184, ext. 2909, or fcss@lloydminster.ca.