News and Views » Straight Talk

Vancouver homeless population up 12 percent from 2008, count shows

By Stephen Hui, April 8, 2010

The City of Vancouver’s latest homeless count has found that the number of people without housing in the city has increased by 12 percent over the past two years.

There are now 1,762 homeless people in the city, up from 1,576 in 2008, according to preliminary figures from the March 23 count.

The figures, released today (April 8), show that the number of people sleeping on the streets has dropped by 47 percent, while the number of homeless people staying in shelters has jumped 74 percent.

There are now 428 people who are street homeless, down from 811 in 2008.

1,334 sheltered homeless people were found by the latest count, up from the 765 counted two years ago.

However, this year’s homeless count took place one month before provincial-government funding for seven shelters is expected to end on April 30.

Opened beginning in December 2008, the seven shelters house about 500 people a night and are currently at capacity, according to a press release from the city.

You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.

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Comments

I wonder why
Thu, 2010-04-08 15:26
They're lining up for the free condos that Gordo offered them. Unless you're labelled 'homeless', you don't get one.
 
You're joking, right?
Fri, 2010-04-09 14:34
Lining up for free condos?
Give your head a shake.
 
pwlg
Sat, 2010-04-10 08:42
Just announced, Olympics over, shelters closing.

Put people back on the streets.

Recount needed.
 
BC Mom
Sat, 2010-04-10 09:12
How many of those have moved to BC from an eastern province within the last two years? I am friggin' sick of this, I am mortified that we cannot help our own citizens and more keep coming... I realized one thing during the Olympics and I hadn't thought about this aspect at all...without a stable home address you can't get a phone, very difficult to get a job, you can't get a bank account, how the hell can you expect someone to climb out of a hole when they are clamped down in it? We are a mess and I don't understand why we don't learn from other cities that have their homeless problem under control. You cannot tell me its unfixable.
 
James33
Tue, 2010-04-13 08:17
BC Mom, you do realize that all provinces have migration, do you not? Your insular attitude (you said: "an eastern province" ) is rather disheartening. We live in Canada- our country has mobility rights enshrined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Before you start trashing Eastern Canadians for moving here, why don't you look at your own life first? You are probably a suburban shrew who barely squeaked through high school with your grade 12 and are now earning $15 an hour, working for some "easterner" who didn't let you leave early for work one day so you could go and drink your miserable life away.
 
Julie
Wed, 2010-04-14 17:19
Homeless people must drift to BC, because of the mild temperatures. I shudder to think, how the homeless survive, northern cities. Homeless people, should be every Canadians concern, regardless of which province, you are from. In the dirty thirties, homeless people rode the rails, looking for work, that just wasn't there. There were soup kitchens back then to feed the homeless, it didn't matter which province they were from. I am turning my entire back yard into a vegetable garden. Most of it will go to the food bank, and the Salvation Army kitchen. If everyone gives a little, it helps a lot.
 
BC Mom
Fri, 2010-04-16 08:45
James, I was not trashing eastern Canadians, simply pointing out that we have the highest homeless population in the country due to our mild climate, we have the largest influx which makes this a FEDERAL problem, not just provincial issue. I do not wish to stop migration and I open my province with pride but why should one province bear the financial weight of being the easiest to survive in? Not given any help in trying to fix this misery?? Do you see the rest of Canada reaching out to us? I must say, your stereotypical image of me is just as insular an attitude as what you are accusing me of.
 
 
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