The number of people on a waitlist for social housing in the city is lower than the local social services board thought.
Up until a few months ago the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board had heard that more than 1,800 people were waiting for assisted housing in Thunder Bay. But a recent look at the numbers and data cleaning shows the number is actually 1,170.
"We feel the current figure is much more accurate," Acting CAO Bill Bradica said.
The number has also dropped due to people finding other places to live or leaving the district.
Nearly 20 per cent of people on the list report that they are couch surfing, staying with relatives or at emergency shelters.
And while the average wait is around a year long, Bradica said that's much better than a lot of cities in the province where waits can be as long as a decade.
