The City of Saskatoon is changing how it will measure homelessness this year as it says “concerns related to potential protest activity” could put volunteers and staff at risk. In a news release sent Friday afternoon, the city and the Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) said they will no longer carry out the unsheltered portion of the 2026 Point-in-Time Count. The count was scheduled for Oct. 6, to estimate the number of people experiencing homelessness in Saskatoon. According to the city, about 250 volunteers had already been trained to take part in the count. “The safety of volunteers, community partners, staff and people experiencing homelessness must come first,” said Lesley Anderson, the city’s director of planning and development. The city has been dealing with growing concerns around three homeless encampments on city-owned land. The city tried to clear the sites last week, but it said “aggressive” protests from advocacy groups and a court application delayed those efforts. Attention has recently focused on a large encampment near 20th Street West, where the Salvation Army counted 60 tents this week, up from 52 a week earlier. A judge has since rejected an application to stop the city from clearing the encampment, although the city has not said whether or when it will be removed. Saskatoon’s most recent Point-in-Time Count was conducted in October 2025. A report released in March found 1,931 people were experiencing homelessness in Saskatoon. The city says instead of conducting the full count this year, it will collect information from emergency shelters, transitional housing and other systems. It will also work with the city’s fire department to estimate how many people are living in encampments. The city says the more comprehensive version of the PiT Count, including full enumeration and survey, is planned for 2027.
