Here are some commonly asked questions about homelessness in the Tri-Cities: Why are people homeless? How many homeless persons are there in the Tri-Cities? Why should we end homelessness? What do homeless persons need? Are there currently any emergency shelter spaces in the Tri-Cities for homeless persons? What is being done to meet the needs of homeless persons in the Tri-Cities? Why are people homeless? (courtesy of Homeless Action Week) Everyone who is homeless has their own story. Each of the stories is usually linked to one or more of the following: • They don’t have enough income • They can’t find affordable housing • They don’t have access to health or social support services Not having enough income means that a person does not have enough money to pay for the basic necessities of life.  The 2005 Greater Vancouver homeless count found that less than half the people surveyed had a predictable source of income. Welfare payments and other government income assistance help some people pay for housing costs, but the maximum housing allowance available to a single person on welfare is $375/month. Affordable housing means housing that costs a reasonable amount compared to a person's income. In the Greater Vancouver area, the average rent for a one bedroom apartment is just over $800 per month. This amounts to half of what a person working 40 hours a week at $10/hr earns before any taxes or deductions.  A good measure of affordability is housing that costs no more than 30% of the pre-tax income of someone earning a modest income. Support services are the health and social services that some people need in order to find and keep housing. Support services can include drug and alcohol treatment, mental health services, counselling, and assistance with daily living. Sometimes these support services are delivered as part of a housing service (e.g., a nurse on site) and sometimes they are in the community (e.g., community mental health services). Return to Top How many homeless persons are there in the Tri-Cities? It is difficult to get an exact number of people who are homeless in the Tri-Cities at any given time, as the number fluctuates.  However, it is clear that the number of homeless persons in the Tri-Cities has declined significantly over the past year or so. In 2002, the total number of homeless persons enumerated in the Tri-Cities was 13. This number increased to 38 in 2005 and to 94 in 2008 during the formal Metro Vancouver 24 hour homeless counts in March. However, it is was recognized that this was an undercount of the actual numbers. First, it is difficult to enumerate homeless persons who are “couch-surfing” with a friend or relative, and second it became obvious during the 2008 count (which was more rigorous than the previous counts) that some homeless persons will avoid being enumerated. The outreach work performed by the Hope For Freedom Society has provided a more accurate estimation of the number of homeless in the Tri-Cities as it is based on day-to-day contact with homeless persons. In March 2008, Hope For Freedom estimated about 210 persons homeless in the Tri-Cities.  By the fall of 2009, this number had fallen to 160 and by fall 2010 had further declined to about 80 individuals. One of the reasons for the decline in homelessness in the Tri-Cities has been the success of outreach workers combined with the Cold Wet Weather Mat Program in connecting homeless persons with resources (typically housing or addictions recovery programs). For information on the demographics of the homeless population in the Tri-Cities, refer to Tri-Cities Outreach & Advocacy Report 1 (April 2006 - September 2006) and Outreach & Advocacy Report 2 (October 2006 - March 2007). Return to Top Why should we end homelessness? (courtesy of the Homeless Action Plan, City of Vancouver, June 2005) There are many reasons for ending homelessness and these relate both to the homeless individuals and to the larger community. Three simple reasons are: to eliminate the human suffering and waste of potential lives; to reduce the drain on public and private supports; and to avoid the negative effects on communities, businesses and civil society. Homelessness is clearly a tragic situation for the individual. This is obvious when we look into the faces of the people who are street homeless in Vancouver. There is a high human cost when people are not able to fully participate in society and end up isolated from their community. An increasing body of information also indicates that our current approach to homelessness has led to an inefficient use of public resources. It costs more to leave people homeless than to provide them with permanent housing and support services. A 2001 study by the Province indicated that the public costs for providing services and shelter for one homeless person are up to $40,000 annually compared with up to $28,000 for someone who has housing. Homelessness also negatively affects neighbourhoods and businesses. The quality of life is reduced for citizens of Vancouver, particularly in the Downtown, but also in our neighbourhood centres. Having people living on our streets and in our parks is bad for business, especially tourism, which is a major part of Vancouver’s employment and economic base. It is important to deal with homelessness with urgency, particularly with young people. The longer people are street homeless, the more homelessness becomes an entrenched way of life, and people lose the ability to be re-integrated into society. Maintaining family connections, community contacts, or job readiness becomes increasingly difficult as the skills for these activities get replaced with survival street skills. No one wants to see the homeless situation worsen by having more people living on the streets. Return to top What do homeless persons need? Primarily, homeless persons need adequate, safe and dependable shelter and the support services to help them address their personal challenges.  In the interim, they need the basic resources and supplies we take for granted that will make life a bit more comfortable and restore a bit of dignity: nutrition; clean water; medical care; dental care; clothing; footwear; personal hygiene products; resource information; empathy and encouragement To learn what you can do to help, see How Can You Help? Return to Top Are there currently any emergency shelter spaces in the Tri-Cities for homeless persons? There are currently no permanent shelter spaces in the Tri-Cities.  The City of Coquitlam has dedicated land for a 24 hour/day, full service shelter and transitional housing facility at 3030 Gordon Ave. and recently approved the requisite rezoning for the site.  The project is now waiting for provincial government funding. The Tri-Cities Cold Wet Weather Mat Program has provided overnight shelter in one of 5 host churches from November 1st – March 31st for the past 3 years.  Altogether 144 individuals used the shelter during the 2009/2010 season – 124 men and 20 women for a total of 1,488 mat nights.  During this time, almost 50 shelter patrons were assisted to find housing or entered a drug and alcohol treatment facility.  The CWW Mat Program is scheduled to discontinue operation following the 2010/2011 season – planning is currently underway for an interim shelter to fill the gap until opening of the permanent shelter at 3030 Gordon Ave. During periods of cold and snowy weather, an Extreme Weather Response shelter operates at Trinity United Church to augment the capacity of the Cold Wet Weather shelter program. Return to Top What is being done to meet the needs of homeless persons in the Tri-Cities? The Hope For Freedom Society operates a program of outreach to persons homeless or at risk of homelessness in the Tri-Cities. Three outreach workers plus a part-time psychiatric street nurse seek out homeless persons and connect them with available services. The Cold Wet Weather Mat Program continues to operate each winter season from November 1 - March 31.  This is a basic program which provides a mat and blankets overnight in a host church facility, with an evening meal prior and a breakfast and bag lunch the following morning.  Through contact with Hope For Freedom outreach workers, the program does provide an opportunity for homeless persons to be connected with services and resources currently available in the Tri-Cities and beyond. There are also food banks, soup kitchens, clothing programs, and hot meals available across the Tri Cities - see Tri-Cities Services. Return to Top