Lambton County's homelessness prevention team wants to help around 270 people weather the coldest months of the year.
General Manager of Social Services Valerie Colasanti said that's how many individuals are experiencing homelessness at the moment, according to the county's byname list.
"So now we know we have approximately 65 individuals in the shelter system, we have another 50 individuals who we believe are living rough, and then we would have another large number of individuals who are precariously housed, so they could be couch-surfing, they don't have a permanent address."
The county's 2021 Homelessness Enumeration showed that 236 individuals and families experienced homelessness, an increase of over 200 per cent from 2018 figures.
Colosanti said while they have seen some improvements with the number of people experiencing homelessness, the actual number is still quite large.
She said with the cold months settling in, the real focus has been on outreach.
"We have a new outreach team and we work in partnership with Lambton Public Health as well as many other partners to reach out to those individuals who may be living on the street to see if they will come into the shelter system, to see if there are other supports we can provide them, because our main goal, of course, is to get everyone housed."
Colosanti said they offer additional support during the winter months, including increasing the number of individuals who can come into the shelter system. She's encouraging anyone who knows someone who needs homelessness services to reach out to Ontario Works or the Good Shepherd's Lodge.
"Unfortunately a few individuals are banned from the system, and that's a challenge, but we continue to work with those individuals to find somewhere for them to stay. Of course, they have to want to come in out of the cold."
The County of Lambton's Integrated Homelessness Prevention Team utilizes an intensive case management model to assist people in exiting the emergency shelter system, provide stability supports and secure housing. The team was recently named an Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) 2022 Award Recipient.
With files from Josh Boyce