Vancouver Homeless Triples Since 2011- Bad News for Mayor Gregor Robertson

[DonLever]

From The Province:

Metro Vancouver’s 2014 Homeless Count shows a five-per-cent increase in the number of homeless people and a 48-per-cent spike in Aboriginal homelessness — what Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson calls a “frustrating setback.”

Robertson has pledged to end homelessness in Vancouver, but the latest figures show that aim is nowhere near being realized.

“This shows that we’ve stemmed the tide of increasing homelessness and have achieved some stability,” said Deb Bryant, who chairs the Greater Vancouver regional steering committee on homelessness. “But we still have more to do to end and prevent homelessness.

“Our direction is clear. We need to focus our resources on helping people who are most in need: Aboriginal Peoples, young people, seniors, women and families.”

The 24-hour count done March 12 found 2,770 homeless — five per cent more than the 2,650 recorded in the last survey year, 2011.

“The number of people identified as homeless in counts has not changed significantly since 2008,” says the survey.

It said “900 volunteers fanned out across the region to document and interview homeless people in streets and shelters, as well as those with ‘no fixed address’ in hospitals, jails and detox facilities, plus couch surfers and people who used homelessness services on the day of the count.”

Of the 2,770 in the region, 1,813 were considered “sheltered homeless,” meaning they were found in shelters, safe houses for youth or transition houses for women.

This category also includes individuals with no fixed address who are staying temporarily in hospital beds, jails or detox facilities.

The 2014 count identified 957 people considered “unsheltered homeless,” that is, people living outside, couch surfing or using homelessness services on the day of the count.

Aboriginal people made up 31 per cent of the total homeless population. This year’s count identified 582 Aboriginal people, an increase of 48 per cent from the 2011 count of 394.

“We’re distressed by the rise in the number of Aboriginal peoples who are homeless and the disproportionate number of Aboriginal peoples who remain on the street,” said Patrick Stewart, chair of the Aboriginal homelessness steering committee.

“Most Aboriginal peoples clearly aren’t accessing the shelter system.

“We need more housing and support services managed and operated by Aboriginal peoples that incorporate Aboriginal community traditions.”

Robertson has campaigned on ending homelessness, so the increases in this year’s count “reflect a frustrating setback in the work to end street homelessness in Vancouver,” the mayor said in a statement.

“But I’m committed to seeing through our action plan to build a city where no one is ever forced to sleep outside at night.

“The numbers tell a simple story: With fewer shelter beds, a delay in opening several hundred new supportive housing units this year, and the loss of decent SRO rooms at welfare rates, more people were left outside on the street.

“With over 600 units of new social housing opening later this year, plus new investments in interim housing by the City and Province in the Ramada and Biltmore Hotels, I’m hopeful we’ll be able to make a big impact before next winter.

“In a city and province with so much wealth, compassion and innovation, nobody should be forced to sleep on the street at night. Now is the time to boost our efforts to help those who need our help the most.”

(More later)

iaustin@theprovince.com

[DonLever]

So much for the promise from Mayor Robertson that he will eliminate homelessness by 2015.

Instead of eliminating homelessness, it has gone up under his leadership.

Mayor Robertson is the typical politician who shoots from the lip.

But he will be re-elected by the lemmings of Vancouver. Guaranteed.

[Warhippy]

Well it starts with social housing and NOT having management in groups set up to keep abusing the system for their own personal gain.

It continues with actual affordable housing, not $375k 2 bedroom condos in the old Olympic housing project (seriously how is that affordable in anything but comparison to regular housing prices)

And it ends with us starting to accept this is an issue and doing something about it instead of talking about it all the time.

[RonMexico]

There is no viable solution so that is why nothing has happened to improve the number of homeless people. It's bad politics to promise something like that. You can't just create affordable living in a region with some of the highest real estate prices in the country without upsetting those who have to work hard, sometimes 3 or more jobs, to maintain a roof over their heads.

[goog16]

hand out bus tickets to Abottsford...

[DonLever]

hand out bus tickets to Abottsford...

Actually, it is usually the other way around. Small towns and cities give the homeless bus tickets TO Vancouver. That is why they keep coming here.

[Grapefruits]

Actually, it is usually the other way around. Small towns and cities give the homeless bus tickets TO Vancouver. That is why they keep coming here.

They keep coming here because we live in the best climate to be in for a homeless person.

[Common sense]

Build shelters on bike lanes.

[Ghostsof1915]

Make them all bicycle repairmen!!!!

[TOMapleLaughs]

The more help you give em, the more the word gets out, unfortunately.

I'm afraid it's people-dozers for the lot of 'em.

[DonLever]

The latest homeless count show homelessness on Vancouver's Streets has tripled since 2011 despite Mayor Robertson's pledge to eliminate it. On the other hand, the numbers dropped for Burnaby and Surrey. Guess where they went.

From the Vancouver Sun:

METRO VANCOUVER -- The number of people sleeping on the streets or couch-surfing across Vancouver has more than tripled since 2011, despite ambitious plans by Mayor Gregor Robertson and his Vision Vancouver-dominated council to end homelessness by 2015.

Some 538 people in Vancouver — up from 154 in 2011 — were identified as being homeless and having no shelter during a 24-hour homeless count of the region conducted on March 12.

Another 1,260 people in Vancouver were identified as being "sheltered" homeless, which means they were found in shelters, safe houses for youth or transition houses for women when the snapshot was taken.

The numbers, although preliminary, show Vancouver continues to accept the bulk of the region's homeless population, which totalled 2,770 — up five per cent over 2011. Of those, 957 were on the streets in Metro Vancouver, a 26-per-cent increase from three years ago although most of those were in Vancouver. Most other cities, including Surrey and Burnaby, recorded drops in street homelessness

[Neversummer]

A bit deceiving and a bit of headline attention seeking. In the same article in Vancouver Sun,

The numbers, although preliminary, show Vancouver continues to accept the bulk of the region's homeless population, which totalled 2,770 — up five per cent over 2011.

There are many definitions of homelessness. So which is it, tripled or up 5%?

[DonLever]

The Province article said homelessness went up 5%.

The Sun article said homelessness tripled.

I think METRO Vancouver which includes other municipalities went up 5%.

The CITY of Vancouver itself tripled.

[ronthecivil]

They keep coming here because we live in the best climate to be in for a homeless person.

Don't forget the free waterfront housing! Easy access to drugs! Lobby groups to fight for you!

It's homeless paradise.

As they say in the movie, build it, and they will come!

[grandmaster]

How about creating a "Purge"?

[Buddhas Hand]

So much for the promise from Mayor Robertson that he will eliminate homelessness by 2015.

Instead of eliminating homelessness, it has gone up under his leadership.

Mayor Robertson is the typical politician who shoots from the lip.

But he will be re-elected by the lemmings of Vancouver. Guaranteed.

I still remember this BS from our prime-minister back in the late 80's

Don't these people realise that history will damn them.