The most recent homeless count in Metro Vancouver, conducted in mid-March 2024, revealed that at least 5,232 people are homeless in the region, marking a 9% increase from 2023. Since 2005, the number of homeless individuals has risen by 141%, outpacing the region’s population growth, which now exceeds three million. This underscores a severe shortage of shelter capacity, according to Lorraine Copas, chair of the Greater Vancouver Community Advisory Board for Reaching Home.
The count includes both sheltered individuals (those staying in temporary accommodations like shelters or hospitals) and unsheltered people (those sleeping outdoors, in vehicles, or in other unstable situations). The City of Vancouver saw a record high of 2,715 homeless people, while areas like Delta and White Rock experienced the largest percentage increases.
The report also highlights demographic disparities: seniors make up 22% of the unhoused population, and Indigenous people represent 34% of those experiencing homelessness, despite being only 2.4% of the regional population. The findings are a stark call for governments to prioritize homelessness prevention and better address the disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities, where 54% of Indigenous respondents were unsheltered compared to 42% of non-Indigenous individuals.
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