Comox Valley homeless population doubles since 2020: report
New data shows a huge jump in the number of people experiencing homelessness in the Comox Valley.
There are roughly 272 unhoused people in the region, up from 132 in 2020, according to the Homelessness Services Association of BC (HSABC) report. In 2018, there were 117.
“They’re not just numbers. These are real people. They’re parents, kids, family members, friends,” said Bob Wells, mayor of Courtenay, which is the largest community in the region.
Roughly 72,000 people live in the Comox Valley, according to 2021 census data. Of the unhoused population there, eight per cent are youth under 25, while 65 per cent are adults between 25 and 54, and 27 per cent are seniors over 55.
“More than half the people, the reason they’re there is that they just can’t afford rent,” Wells said.
Substance use, mental illness and intimate partner violence are also major contributors to the issue, the report says.
This year’s count was done by the Comox Valley Coalition to End Homelessness over 24 hours on March 13 and 14 in Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland.
“The count represents a snapshot in time and is likely an undercount, as many people who are unhoused are not easily accessible or visible,” a news release from the City of Courtenay says.
Since the last count in 2020, new shelter spaces have been created.
“This can contribute to higher [homeless count] numbers by making sure more people are counted in these spaces than if they were not sheltered,” the report says.
Wells said the data is disappointing, but not surprising.
“Municipalities and the province are really doing everything they can. The challenge, really, is just that need is so great,” he said.
The B.C. Ministry of Housing says homelessness is a growing issue throughout the province.
“Since 2017, the province has nearly 77,000 new homes that have been delivered or are underway… including more than 800 homes in the Comox Valley Regional District,” a statement from the ministry said.
It says 401 new housing units are underway in the Comox Valley.
“We’re really trying to stay optimistic that we do have a plan,” Wells said. “We are working as hard as we can and we are going to keep working with everybody at the table to make sure we can solve this.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Group tied to Islamic State plotted fatal Ontario restaurant shooting: Crown
A gunman who is accused of killing a young Ontario man and shooting four of his family members at their small Mississauga restaurant in 2021 was allegedly part of a trio who had pledged allegiance to the listed terrorist group Islamic State, a Crown attorney said in an opening statement in the Brampton murder trial this week.
Board orders deportation for trucker in horrific Humboldt Broncos crash
The truck driver who caused the horrific bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team has been ordered to be deported.
Italian teenage computer wizard set to become the first saint of the millennial generation
Pope Francis paved the way for the canonization of the first saint of the millennial generation on Thursday, attributing a second miracle to a 15-year-old Italian computer whiz who died of leukemia in 2006.
'We recognize there's more to do': Trudeau responds to U.S. senators' defence spending letter
Stopping short of offering the assurance U.S. senators are seeking, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is aware there's more work to do in order to see Canada meet NATO's defence spending target.
Top Russian military officials are being arrested. Why is it happening?
It began last month with the arrest of a Russian deputy defense minister. Then the head of the ministry’s personnel directorate was hauled into court. This week, two more senior military officials were detained. All face charges of corruption, which they have denied.
'A really bad car crash': Why health experts are raising concerns over surging syphilis cases
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) that was once thought to be a thing of the past is now a public health priority for North American doctors.
Morgan Spurlock, Oscar-nominated director of 'Super Size Me,' dies at 53
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar-nominee who made food and American diets his life's work, famously eating only at McDonald's for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet, has died. He was 53.
Milk sold in Canadian grocery stores tested for avian influenza; results released
As avian flu spreads south of the border, Canadian officials are now testing samples of milk sold in grocery stores across the country.
Leaving time on the table: Surveys show unused paid vacation, 'quiet vacationing'
'Quiet vacationing' is the latest new term to describe the rough edges of office culture, and survey data shows it's widespread among North American workers.