Number of homeless drops slightly

BURNABY (NEWS1130) – The Metro Vancouver homeless count performed on March 16th found there are 37 fewer homeless people compared to 2008. 

The research found 2,623 people were homeless on the Lower Mainland on the day of the count.  That translates to a one per cent decrease, though statistically unchanged.  These are preliminary results.  A more detailed analysis is due this summer.

Vancouver City Councillor Kerry Jang says the story is much better within the city itself.

“In 2008, we had 815 people living on the street and then in 2010 [the City counted] 421 and according to the Metro numbers, we now have 145 people living on the street.  So, that’s a massive reduction of 82 percent.”

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is pleased with the numbers.  “The City’s goal of ending street homelessness by 2015 is closer than ever, and it’s very encouraging to see our focus and hard work delivering these results.”

But NPA council candidate Mike Klassen says that’s not good enough.  “The fact is, is that getting people off the street is not necessarily the same as giving them homes, which is how you end homelessness.”

Klassen points out Vision had initially pledged to end homlessness by 2015 but has since moved the goalposts.

“Unfortunately, Vision Vancouver had campaigned on a promise to end homelessness and then they added the word ‘street’ later on.  In fact, we even saw that they changed their website in the last year and a half to try and reflect that.”

New Westminster Mayor Wayne Wright chairs Metro’s housing committee says now the work can begin.  “Now that we’ve found out the numbers, we know in my city there’s 39, from a hundred and some odd a couple of years ago.  Now we’re going to go find out why.”

Wright says it’s time for senior levels of government to play a greater role.  “There’s tens of thousands of people in our city that can’t afford rents or they’re living in substandard places.  We need some help there from the national and provincial governments to help up be able to correct that problem.”

However, Housing Minister Rich Coleman says the province has come a long way.

“The 2011 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count shows we have made great progress to address homelessness since our housing strategy was introduced in 2006.  Today, we continue to work with our partners to break the cycle of homelessness, by getting people off the street, in supportive housing, and back into healthier lifestyles.”

The provincial government invests roughly $231 million annually in Metro Vancouver for affordable housing.

While the number of people without a permanent place to stay is statistically unchanged from 2008, this year marks the first time since 2002 the overall number hasn’t gone up.

However, what has increased is the number of youth homeless.  This year, 349 people under the age of 25 were without a permanent place to stay, up from 270 in 2008.