The Fraser Valley Regional District’s (FVRD) unhoused population has risen by 22 per cent since 2020, according to the final report on a point-in-time homeless count conducted over 24 hours in March.
The survey identified 1,094 people in the region who experience homelessness – the first time the count has reached quadruple digits.
The FVRD started the count in 2004 and has conducted the survey every three years since 2008.
A report presented to the FVRD Regional and Corporate Services Committee on Dec. 7 outlines the need for system-level changes, research into rural areas, outside-the-box solutions, and increased conversation and collaboration.
“BC Housing, Fraser Health, municipal governments, and community-based service agencies need to rethink the current care and service delivery model to create suitable long-term housing with supports and care designed to meet the specific needs of those experiencing homelessness,” the report reads.
The final report states that the cost of housing is central to both the problem and solution. It also finds that “health needs are housing needs, especially when complex.”
“Although affordable housing remains an important issue for all individuals and families with lower incomes, traditional affordable housing solutions often lack the ongoing support and care required for those with mental health issues, physical disabilities, substance use issues, and for seniors with serious health issues or increased risks,” the report reads.
Chilliwack is home to the largest percentage of the region’s unhoused population at 38 per cent, followed by Abbotsford at 37 per cent, Mission at 16 per cent and the Eastern Fraser Valley at nine per cent.
The survey found an overrepresentation of Indigenous people among the region’s unhoused population. Indigenous people make up 7.6 per cent of the region’s overall population but account for 38 per cent of those experiencing homelessness.
“The overrepresentation of Indigenous people among homeless populations is rooted in Canada’s long history of colonization and exploitation of Indigenous Peoples,” the FRVD report reads.
According to the report, point-in-time surveys can only provide an undercount of those experiencing homelessness. The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness estimates that individuals experiencing more hidden forms of homelessness account for 80 per cent of the actual population experiencing homelessness.
READ MORE: Homelessness across Fraser Valley Regional District grew by 21 per cent in 3 years