More than 600 people are homeless in Thunder Bay, Ont., point-in-time count finds

Front-line workers say it’s not a shock that Thunder Bay’s latest point-in-time count shows homelessness in the city continues to rise.

According to data released by the Lakehead Social Planning Council, 652 people were experiencing homelessness on Oct. 9, 2025.

The one-day count found:

Brendan Carlin, executive director of Shelter House, said the numbers reaffirm what they’ve already been seeing.

“It didn't surprise me. I'd known the numbers were increasing,” he said. “The scope of it was a bit surprising. And also, how many people are outside? They're still outside, and it's getting cold.”

The 2025 count aligns with the city’s Thunder Bay Point-in-Time Count Data 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2024, which found chronic homelessness has grown: 61 per cent of people surveyed last year had been homeless for 18 months or more during the previous three years.

Carlin said the reasons people are remaining homeless longer are layered.

“The cost of everything is going up. The average family is struggling,” he said. “We also have a substance use crisis. We have a mental health crisis amongst the unhoused. And all of that together has really resulted in this perfect storm.”

The latest longitudinal data shows the cost of rent and having a low income remain two of the biggest barriers to housing. In last year's point-in-time count, 67 per cent cited high rent as a barrier, and 62 per cent pointed to low income. Substance use was identified by 39 per cent of respondents.

That report also notes Indigenous residents are five times more likely to experience homelessness than non-Indigenous people in Thunder Bay.

This year’s PiT count found 177 people staying outdoors altogether, either in encampments or outside of them, amid dropping fall temperatures. On the night of the count, it was 14 °C at 6 p.m., dropping to 10 °C overnight.

“It's scary when you're out in the cold, think -40, and you're out there for 10 to 20 minutes. You or I will be feeling it and need to find shelter,” he said. “They may have a tent, they might have a sleeping bag. They probably have a coat, but that's not adequate for the weather.”

He said shelters coordinate closely during the winter months, but capacity remains a constant concern.

“The fear is always that there won't be enough,” Carlin said. “We weathered last winter fine, but we were packed every night, and so if there are too many more people this year, we may be in trouble.”