Greater Vancouver has seen a record-high surge in homelessness over the past three years, a new survey reveals.
The Homelessness Services Association of BC (HSABC) unveiled the results of the 2023 Point-in-Time Homeless Census for Greater Vancouver on Thursday, indicating a significant uptick in the population of individuals without stable housing within the region.
This census, which is carried out every three years by volunteers, encompasses a comprehensive survey of both sheltered and homeless individuals during a 24-hour span in early March.
The findings revealed a substantial 32% surge in homelessness since 2020.
“Increases were measured across all 11 communities surveyed, with most communities measuring record numbers of people identified as experiencing homelessness,” wrote the HSABC.
The report highlights the expansion of homelessness in each of the communities captured by the count, with most communities witnessing record-high numbers of people facing housing insecurity.
It is also noteworthy that over 50% of the individuals counted were within shelter facilities, while nearly half of those not in shelters were on the street.
Unsheltered individuals were found in various places, including other people’s residences, self-constructed shelters or tents and even vehicles.
Moreover, this census drew attention to the disproportionate representation of Indigenous people among the homeless demographic, constituting 33% of the respondents, despite comprising only around 3% of the region’s population.
Many of them are either survivors or descendants of survivors of the residential school system.
Additionally, the report highlighted that the majority of homeless individuals were between the ages of 25 and 54.
According to David Wells, chair of the Metro Vancouver Indigenous Homelessness Steering Committee, although the results are alarming, the true number of homeless individuals is likely larger than the survey captured.
“When it comes to non-sheltered individuals, we know it’s an undercount, we know we won’t be able to capture everybody as people, over time, have spread out further and further away from urban service centres. It’s more of a snapshot,” Wells told CityNews.
