Latest news with #ReachingHome
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Yahoo
Number of people who are homeless in Metro Vancouver up 9 per cent in 2 years: report
The number of people experiencing homelessness in Metro Vancouver is climbing, according to preliminary data from the most recent homeless count. The count, which took place in mid-March this year, found that at least 5,232 individuals in the region are homeless, up nine per cent compared to 2023. Since point-in-time homeless counts started in 2005, the number of homeless people in Metro Vancouver has increased by 141 per cent, the report says. Earlier this year, Statistics Canada showed the population for the region now exceeds three million, compared to 2.1 million in 2005. "Homelessness is growing at a much faster rate than population growth in the region, and this indicates that shelter capacity is insufficient," said Lorraine Copas, chair of the Greater Vancouver Community Advisory Board for Reaching Home — one of the groups involved in the report — in a news release. "We're releasing this high-level preliminary data now because it is incredibly valuable for organizations, support services, and policymakers to be aware of as they plan, fund and operationalize their programming." The report looks at both sheltered and unsheltered people. Sheltered people are those who, on the night of March 10, 2025, stayed in an emergency, temporary or extreme weather response shelter, a transition house, a hotel as a temporary situation, or a hospital, local holding cell or detox facility, but have no fixed address to return to. Unsheltered people include people who, on that same night, slept in an encampment, alley, doorway, parkade, park or vehicle, someone else's couch, or, if there was a sex work transaction, a client's place. The number of homeless people counted in the count rose in the City of Vancouver to a record high of 2,715, a 12 per cent increase from two years ago. Meanwhile, Delta and White Rock saw the biggest percentage increases, up by 70 and 53 per cent, respectively. Seniors make up about 22 per cent of unhoused people in Metro Vancouver, while youth under 25 make up about six per cent, the report shows. Indigenous people make up a disproportionate number of those experiencing homelessness; 34 per cent of the more than 5,000 homeless individuals in Metro Vancouver identified as Indigenous, while Indigenous people make up only 2.4 per cent of the population in the region, according to Statistics Canada. David Wells, chair of the Indigenous Homelessness Steering Committee for Greater Vancouver, said in a statement to The Canadian Press that the report's findings are a call for "governments at all levels to prioritize homelessness prevention." Wells also says the numbers put the issue of Indigenous homelessness in the spotlight, as 54 per cent of the Indigenous respondents to the survey said they were unsheltered — living outdoors without protection — versus 42 per cent of non-Indigenous respondents who were in the same situation.
CBC
30-07-2025
- CBC
Number of people who are homeless in Metro Vancouver up 9 per cent in 2 years: report
The number of people experiencing homelessness in Metro Vancouver is climbing, according to preliminary data from the most recent homeless count. The count, which took place in mid-March this year, found that at least 5,232 individuals in the region are homeless, up nine per cent compared to 2023. Since point-in-time homeless counts started in 2005, the number of homeless people in Metro Vancouver has increased by 141 per cent, the report says. Earlier this year, Statistics Canada showed the population for the region now exceeds three million, compared to 2.1 million in 2005. "Homelessness is growing at a much faster rate than population growth in the region, and this indicates that shelter capacity is insufficient," said Lorraine Copas, chair of the Greater Vancouver Community Advisory Board for Reaching Home — one of the groups involved in the report — in a news release. "We're releasing this high-level preliminary data now because it is incredibly valuable for organizations, support services, and policymakers to be aware of as they plan, fund and operationalize their programming." The report looks at both sheltered and unsheltered people. Sheltered people are those who, on the night of March 10, 2025, stayed in an emergency, temporary or extreme weather response shelter, a transition house, a hotel as a temporary situation, or a hospital, local holding cell or detox facility, but have no fixed address to return to. Unsheltered people include people who, on that same night, slept in an encampment, alley, doorway, parkade, park or vehicle, someone else's couch, or, if there was a sex work transaction, a client's place. The number of homeless people counted in the count rose in the City of Vancouver to a record high of 2,715, a 12 per cent increase from two years ago. Meanwhile, Delta and White Rock saw the biggest percentage increases, up by 70 and 53 per cent, respectively. Seniors make up about 22 per cent of unhoused people in Metro Vancouver, while youth under 25 make up about six per cent, the report shows. Indigenous people make up a disproportionate number of those experiencing homelessness; 34 per cent of the more than 5,000 homeless individuals in Metro Vancouver identified as Indigenous, while Indigenous people make up only 2.4 per cent of the population in the region, according to Statistics Canada. David Wells, chair of the Indigenous Homelessness Steering Committee for Greater Vancouver, said in a statement to The Canadian Press that the report's findings are a call for "governments at all levels to prioritize homelessness prevention." Wells also says the numbers put the issue of Indigenous homelessness in the spotlight, as 54 per cent of the Indigenous respondents to the survey said they were unsheltered — living outdoors without protection — versus 42 per cent of non-Indigenous respondents who were in the same situation.
Hamilton Spectator
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Vancouver's Housing Freeze Draws Fire from Indigenous rights advocates
(ANNews) – In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES), Indigenous people make up a disproportionate share of the unhoused population – a direct result of colonial dispossession, poverty, and systemic neglect. Now, a new policy from Mayor Ken Sim's municipal government threatens to deepen this crisis. In February, Vancouver city council voted to freeze the construction of new supportive housing. The decision, led by Sim and his ABC Vancouver party, halts the development of units meant for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Sim argued that Vancouver already provides 77 per cent of Metro Vancouver's supportive services while housing only 25 per cent of the region's population, claiming a pause is needed to 'renew aging stock.' But for many Indigenous advocates and housing organizers, the mayor's math is a smokescreen. The move exposed divisions at city hall. Councillors Pete Fry, Lisa Dominato, and independent Rebecca Bligh opposed the freeze. Bligh, ousted from ABC for resisting similar cuts, had called for provincial consultation – a move many see as clashing with the mayor's top-down style. Adding to concerns is Sim's push to dissolve Vancouver's elected park board – despite ABC's sweep of city council, school board, and park board seats in 2022. Critics see this as a consolidation of power that mirrors his handling of the housing file. Sim insists his government wants to 'address the root causes of homelessness.' Yet his actions suggest otherwise. While invoking provincial and federal responsibility, his policies freeze funding streams and delay badly needed construction – passing the buck in a bureaucratic game of hot potato. As the City of Vancouver halts new supportive housing, Nonprofit-organization is scaling up. CityReach Care Society executive director Simon Gau is leading efforts to prevent homelessness before it begins; prevention, not pause, should be focused. 'We've just entered our second year of federal funding through the Reaching Home initiative – around $400,000 to help prevent homelessness before it starts,' Gau explains. 'Our goal is to reverse-engineer homelessness by identifying individuals and families at risk, building relationships, and giving them tools to remain housed.' Simon shared that CityReach is expanding its services through 'The Hope project' which 'is an extension of our Club Freedom program, which already connects with vulnerable populations by providing hot meals, spiritual care, street outreach, and prison outreach.' The organization plans to demonstrate the impact of its current federal funding by exceeding expectations and using the results to advocate for increased funding and program expansion. But it begs a question, where is the municipal funding if this is a proven effective program that efficiently offloads government responsibility? Echoes of Colonial Urban Policy The freeze comes amid renewed scrutiny of how municipal governments perpetuate the legacy of Indigenous displacement – not just in rural land seizures, but through urban renewal agendas. Jean Barman's seminal article Erasing Indigenous Indigeneity in Vancouver traces how 19-century development efforts targeted Indigenous settlements near False Creek, often under moralizing claims about 'drunkenness' and disorder. Today's language may be less overt, but the message remains. Sim has described DTES single-room occupancy buildings as 'crumbling,' 'unlivable,' and 'infested,' justifying intervention not with compassion but condemnation. Sim's latest proposal – a 're-unification roundtable' to help relocate Indigenous residents to their home nations – is framed as a healing initiative. But Indigenous critics warn it could become a modern rebranding of removal. 'Health outcomes are better when you are in your community,' Sim has said, pledging you don't have to leave if you don't want to; yet, your consent is manufactured. Still, the optics of moving Indigenous people out of a gentrifying urban core ring familiar. As Barman noted, settler officials once rationalized displacement with the belief that Indigenous people could simply be relocated to a 'just as convenient' space. These rationalizations haven't disappeared – they've just changed their packaging. A Haunting Familiar to Alberta The story unfolding in Vancouver resonates deeply with Indigenous communities in Alberta. In Edmonton, urban development has repeatedly clashed with encampments set up by unhoused residents – many of them Indigenous. In Calgary, the Beltline and East Village have seen Indigenous residents pushed out by condo projects and commercial rezoning. Amber Dean, writing in The West and Beyond, calls these areas 'haunted' by colonial logic. The DTES – and by extension, similar districts across the country – are frequently framed as both overcrowded and empty, dangerous yet disposable. This 'frontier logic,' a term coined by legal geographer Nicholas Blomley, equates poverty with waste and vacancy – making removal seem not just rational, but necessary. This language masks the lived realities of Indigenous people who remain rooted in place despite generations of exclusion. It sanitizes policy and rebrands displacement as 'revitalization.' Who Belongs in the City? Sim's approach – pausing housing, sidelining dissent, and floating voluntary relocation – reflects a broader question: who gets to belong in cities like Vancouver, Edmonton, or Calgary? In the past, cities erased Indigenous presence through overt policy. Today, displacement occurs through more subtle tools: rezoning, housing freezes, and political messaging that casts social responsibility as a burden. Unless these policies are challenged, they will continue to treat Indigenous people as temporary guests in their own territories – instead of the permanent, self-determining communities they are. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg mayor troubled by outreach workers' role in setting up homeless camp
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham reacted forcefully Friday to residents' concerns about Main Street Project's role in setting up a homeless encampment this week. Gillingham, who was among the recipients of a letter from the Point Douglas Residents Committee detailing the incident involving the non-profit social-services agency, said he opposes any agency involvement in supporting encampments in the city. 'I don't want to see people in tents. I don't want to see people living along the riverbank. I don't want to see people living in parks. I don't want agencies in any way helping people to do that,' he said. 'I want to get everybody moved out of there, into housing, with wraparound supports. Right now, we don't have enough housing. We're working on that.' While stopping short of commenting on behalf of the province, Gillingham said he doesn't believe assisting in encampment setups aligns with the spirit of the NDP government's $20-million Your Way Home strategy to combat chronic homelessness, which Premier Wab Kinew announced in January. 'We do a disservice to the people who are struggling unsheltered if we allow that to happen,' he said. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES 'I don't want to see people in tents. I don't want to see people living along the riverbank. I don't want to see people living in parks. I don't want agencies in any way helping people to do that,' Mayor Scott Gillingham said. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES 'I don't want to see people in tents. I don't want to see people living along the riverbank. I don't want to see people living in parks. I don't want agencies in any way helping people to do that,' Mayor Scott Gillingham said. In a statement issued late Friday, Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith said the province's strategy is clear. 'We expect community partners to transition people out of tents into safe, stable homes,' she said. 'We've been in contact with Main Street Project to ensure that all outreach efforts serve to move people into homes.' The Point Douglas group's letter, addressed to MSP, was also sent to Kinew, Progressive Conservative MLA Carrie Hiebert — the Opposition critic for housing, addictions and homelessness — the United Way, the Winnipeg Foundation and End Homelessness Winnipeg. It described the incident, witnessed by at least one resident, in which a Main Street Project van dropped off individuals with a tent, tarp, suitcases and other supplies, and then helped drag the equipment to the riverbank, where they helped to set up a camp where a previous one had recently been cleaned up. Main Street Project has repeatedly refused Free Press requests for comment. End Homelessness Winnipeg is an Indigenous-led organization responsible for distributing federal funds allotted locally from the national Reaching Home strategy. An EHW community advisory board takes calls for proposals based on Reaching Home directives and community priorities. EHW directed $726,000 to Main Street Project in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, according to that agency's latest financial report. Nearly all of it — $713,541 — went to the mobile outreach van's operations. EHW president and CEO Jason Whitford said Friday the workers' decision to assist in the camp setup was driven by safety concerns and a need to maintain trust with vulnerable community members. 'People are in survival mode, and we have to be sensitive of that,' he said. 'Outreach resources have the important job of building trust and building relationships… and getting people supported.' Later Friday, EHW issued a statement saying that while the Main Street Project has reaffirmed it does not support encampment setups and operates within a human rights-based framework, the incident has raised valid concerns about optics, public trust and community engagement. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES 'Outreach resources have the important job of building trust and building relationships… and getting people supported,' said Jason Whitford, president and CEO of End Homelessness Winnipeg, MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES 'Outreach resources have the important job of building trust and building relationships… and getting people supported,' said Jason Whitford, president and CEO of End Homelessness Winnipeg, 'We hear the Point Douglas residents clearly,' Whitford said. 'No one wants encampments. But when no safe shelter is available, outreach workers face ethically complex choices. This is not a failure of compassion, but a failure of systems — and that must urgently change.' Whitford declined to comment on the specifics of Tuesday's incident but confirmed he had discussed the matter with MSP executive director Jamil Mahmood. 'We can't speculate that they were in a shelter and moved to an encampment,' Whitford said. 'They could have been in a location where they might have needed to be relocated, there might have been some personal issues that might have arisen there.' He said relocation should be the last resort. The vast majority of MSP's funding comes from taxpayer dollars, including more than a third of its $11.4 million in total grant money — $3.65 million — from Manitoba's Families Department. Combined, the province, via several departments, directed more than $7.5 million to the agency last year. The city contributed nearly $400,000, and the Winnipeg Police Service added $772,000 for MSP's Intoxicated Persons Detention Area. 'I have not heard of a situation of (MSP) misusing our funds,' Whitford said. 'They've used the funds as intended.' To address the issues raised in the Point Douglas Residents Committee's letter, EHW said it will convene a 'sector meeting' with MSP, provincial officials, Indigenous housing partners and Point Douglas residents representatives to review protocols and improve co-ordination. It also plans to support better communication with residents. 'It is unacceptable that in a city as resourceful as Winnipeg, the only option some people have is a tent by the river,' he said. 'This must be a call to action — for more supportive housing, clearer protocols and a shared commitment to dignity, safety and accountability.' Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud, the premier's senior adviser on ending chronic homelessness, was not made available for an interview by the province Friday. Whitecloud, the former CEO of Siloam Mission, is leading the co-ordination of the province's Your Way Home strategy, a two-year plan to relocate people living in outdoor encampments — one site at a time — and move them into appropriate housing with needed supports. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. City grants: • City of Winnipeg – $394,067 • WPS – $772,001 Provincial grants: • Winnipeg Regional Health Authority – $2,452,569 • Department of Families – $3,555,527 (up about $600,000 from the year before) • Manitoba Health and Community Wellness – $396,000 • Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living – $919,001 • Manitoba Department of Housing Operating subsidy – $199,412 • Province of Manitoba – $10,000 Community agency grants: • End Homelessness Winnipeg – $726,000 • United Way – $220,074 Scott BilleckReporter Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade's worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott. Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
31-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Political turf war over outreach centre comes at expense of vulnerable Islanders, says advocate
Social Sharing An advocate who works to get vulnerable people housed says the Community Outreach Centre's location on Park Street in Charlottetown is making a difference, but recent political debates over whether it should stay there are creating uncertainty for those who rely on its services. Chris Clay, the co-ordinator of the Native Council of P.E.I.'s Reaching Home project, said he's seen first-hand how the centre provides critical support to Islanders who are often overlooked or stigmatized. "I've seen a huge improvement in the services at the outreach center. The clinic that they're running now is fantastic," he told CBC's Island Morning. "It helps address a lot of needs to the population that don't often get to see doctors. The services that the case managers are doing down there are phenomenal, and they're providing such good help to the people who need it." Political dispute over location Park Street is the outreach centre's fifth location since it first opened in January 2020 at 211 Euston St. to serve Islanders in need of access to financial assistance, counselling, employment, food and housing. Some residents in the area have expressed concerns about the location, citing fears for their safety. There were similar complaints when the centre was located on Euston Street. Clay said the current location has worked well because it's within walking distance of downtown Charlottetown and essential services. But the future of the centre and the nearby emergency shelter recently became the focus of a heated debate between the City of Charlottetown and the P.E.I. government. Last week, city council voted to reject the province's request for a zoning change that would have allowed the operations to remain on Park Street. Two days later, P.E.I. Housing Minister Steven Myers said the province would set up a special zone in the area that would allow the shelter and outreach centre to stay in place, effectively overriding council's decision. Myers went as far as using words like "lies" and "coward" when referring to the city's vote against the zoning change. Mayor Philip Brown later told CBC News he wants to avoid what he called a "sandbox fight," but he did not rule out taking the province to court over the issue. Charlottetown mayor wants Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities to step in on Park Street dispute 3 days ago Duration 6:42 'This is not just about Charlottetown,' Mayor Philip Brown warned as he responded to the P.E.I. government's move to give itself planning power over the Park Street parcel of land that hosts outreach services for vulnerable Islanders. That followed a vote by Brown's council to deny the province a variance to let the services stay in that part of Charlottetown. Brown spoke with Louise Martin of CBC News: Compass about the standoff. Clay said the political discord is happening just as staff at the outreach centre are seeing positive results. "Every time we get a few steps ahead, we seem to find barriers," he said. "It affects the people who access the services and the service providers who are trying to give them out. If we don't have a central location to work from, then it's hard to find this population." Clay acknowledged that political discussions are necessary because funding for the outreach centre and shelter comes through government. "I just wish that it would be through a lens of more caring about the population that they're arguing over." Vulnerable population, staff bearing the brunt Clay said the uncertainty surrounding the location of these services is making life even more difficult for vulnerable people. "They're the ones that get the brunt of the anger," he said. "It's not so much the political side of the argument, but the neighbourhoods, the public interactions — it often casts the people who need the services in the worst eye." Then there's the impact on the staff. "It's hard to set down connections. Our job is based a lot on relationships, and if you can't build a relationship of stability, then it's hard to keep providing the services to the people who need them the most." 'Anchor of stability' Looking ahead, Clay believes moving the centre again would be costly and unnecessary. "If both sides could meet and come with a better plan going forward on how to provide services instead of fighting over locations, we can better serve the people," he said. Housing Minister Steven Myers on province's decision to make Park Street a 'special planning area' 4 days ago Duration 7:14 P.E.I.'s minister of housing is standing firm on the location of the Community Outreach Centre and emergency shelter in Charlottetown. As Steven Myers tells Louise Martin of CBC News: Compass, the province is enacting a regulatory amendment to ensure it stays on Park Street. Some city councillors have suggested decentralizing services instead of keeping everything in one location. Clay noted there is already a level of decentralization, with the offices of organizations like Peers Alliance, the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Native Council of P.E.I. spread across Charlottetown. "Everything else around them is chaos. If you're living rough, there's a lot of reasons — you know, economic struggles, mental health struggles, addiction issues — there's a lot of reasons to be homelessness," Clay said. "To have one little anchor of stability in that storm is [massive]." Last year, the P.E.I. government released a five-year plan aimed at increasing the province's housing supply and addressing the ongoing housing crisis. The strategy takes a housing-first approach to people dealing with homelessness, focusing on transitional and supportive housing. Clay said that plan is still in its early stages, but "the direction is definitely on the right path." Discussions are ongoing about the kind of housing needed to set people up for success. He pointed to an existing program, the Salvation Army's New Roots initiative, as an example of what works. The program provides supportive transitional housing with caseworker check-ins to ensure clients are doing well. "Those programs are starting to show the province and our funders that more supportive, more wrap-around supports will lead to more successful client interaction."
