With bitter cold weather here in Southern Manitoba, increasing amounts of homeless people are seeking shelter.

CMHA Central Region executive director Jordan Friesen.

One organization that helps meet that need in Portage la Prairie is the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Central Region. Executive Director Jordan Friesen says they operate three emergency suites for temporary shelter, and a drop-in space open on weekdays. CMHA also works with other community non-profit organizations to provide warm food and winter clothing to those in need. Friesen says there is a much larger demand for CMHA's services in winter.

"We see attendance at our drop-in go up, and we also experience a higher volume of calls for access to our emergency suites," he says. "Unfortunately, a lot of those we are simply unable to accommodate because we lack the resources to do so."

One of the challenges facing non-profits in the Portage la Prairie area that work to service those struggling with homelessness, or unstable housing, is a lack of data, Friesen says. Without quantifiable data explaining homelessness in more detail, having additional funding requests granted by government or other organizations to combat the issue is difficult.

"Other urban centres, both large and small, have good data collection systems to help identify people experiencing either chronic or episodic homelessness," explains Friesen. "Individuals that are frequently using emergency services as an example, those are typically people you might identify as individuals that are having problems with their housing."

"Other communities have very good data collection systems, and they can identify who these people are that are having issues and provide appropriate support to help them find and maintain stable housing," continues Friesen. "Unfortunately, Portage la Prairie doesn't have any of that data right now."

Friesen describes Portage la Prairie's homeless population an 'invisible' one. You may not necessarily see people on the street, or sleeping in alleys, but it exists.

"From our experience at CMHA, there are many people in Portage that we would call 'episodically homeless'," says Friesen. "These are people that are many couching-surfing, or have been evicted from an apartment, and are constantly having to re-evaluate their living situation and the sustainability of it."

"So they're moving from one place to the next, and that pattern of being displaced is very challenging to live with, and get out of."

Friesen adds, CMHA is committed to working with other non-profit partners and public health service partners to explore ways to collect better data, so everyone can understand the full scope of the homelessness problem.