Vancouver homelessness on the rise, tally shows
The number of people living on the streets of Greater Vancouver is up 37 per cent since 2005, according to a tally of the homeless taken every three years.
In total, 2,592 people were counted as homeless in the 13 cities that make up the Greater Vancouver Area, according to preliminary figures released yesterday.
The count, which is divided into two categories - sheltered homeless and street homeless - showed almost no change in the number of people considered to be sheltered homeless.
"Where we are seeing an increase is the people who are either on the street or living in a tenuous situation with family or friends or in their cars or in public buildings," said Robyn Newton, who led the homeless count project for the Social Planning and Research Council of B.C.
Ms. Newton said she was unable to project the number of homeless by 2010.
"There are a lot of factors between now and then. There are lots of units under development."
But she said the survey made clear that "there is a problem in every municipality in the region."
This year's count, which is conducted by volunteers, is the most accurate since the first count in 2002, organizers say, because of experience in counting methods and increased public interest.
"The count is a 24-hour snapshot giving us a picture of the number of individuals found to be homeless within this time period," said Alice Sundberg, co-chair of the Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness.
Individuals are considered homeless if they do not have a place of their own where they can expect to stay for more than 30 days.
Ms. Sundberg cited higher rents as one reason for the increase.
"There's been a decrease in the amount of affordable housing available. So, those have impacted not just people who are vulnerable, not just people with mental illness or on fixed incomes, but, people who are working. And that's putting more and more pressure on the lower end of the rental stock," she said.
More than double the number of people volunteered for the March 11 count than last time. So some of the increase could be due to more eyes on the street, Ms. Sundberg said.
But, despite the count not being 100 per cent accurate, it does serve a purpose, she said.
"We need to have this quantifiable data and irrefutable numbers to demonstrate the need when we are asking for funding."
Ms. Sundberg called upon the federal government to do more to address the problem, citing the lack of a national housing program. But Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Monte Solberg said the government is doing its share.
"I'm not certain I agree with Ms. Sundberg," Mr. Solberg said. "We have in place the Homelessness Partnering Strategy to come up with local solutions to local problems."
He also pointed at millions of dollars in recent funding to help people with mental illness in Vancouver.
However, as those conducting the count gain more experience, Mr. Solberg said, his confidence in it grows.
"It strikes me as a serious survey," he said. "We need good information to know if our programs are having success so we can move forward."
She said there is little risk of people being counted twice because counters use a series of questions to make sure a person has not already been included. But she said it boils down to the honour system.
The report said the number of homeless people this year is a hike of 131 per cent over the 2002 numbers.
Special to The Globe and Mail; with a report from The Canadian Press
