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, counseling, 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, but there is no doubt that the number has increased over time.  Regional homeless counts over a 24 hour period have been held in March every 3 years since 2002.  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.  However, it is recognized that this is 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 provides 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 its first report on the homeless in the Tri-Cities, Hope For Freedom estimated there were 177 homeless persons over the period April – September 2006.  A follow-up report estimated this number had dropped to 162 over the period October 2006 – March 2007.  The most recent estimate provided by Hope For Freedom is about 175 persons homeless in the Tri-Cities in the fall of 2009.  For more information, refer to Tri-Cities Outreach & Advocacy Report 1 and Outreach & Advocacy Report 2 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. Winter 2007/08 saw the inaugural opening of the Tri-Cities Cold Wet Weather Mat Program.  The program provided overnight shelter in one of five community churches that took turns hosting people who are homeless in the Tri-Cities.  Thanks to: Northside Foursquare Gospel Church, Port Coquitlam; Coquitlam Alliance Church, Coquitlam; Calvary Baptist Church, Coquitlam; St Andrew’s United Church, Port Moody; Eagle Ridge Bible Fellowship, Coquitlam and to the many volunteers that helped out.  A total of 135 homeless persons used the shelter service over the 4 month period December 1st – March 31st, 106 men and 29 women, with 1,868 mats occupied overall. The CWW Mat Program operated again during the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 winter seasons at the same churches, from November 1st – March 31st. 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? For some of the services currently available to homeless persons in the Tri-Cities, see Tri-Cities 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. Planning is currently underway for a 24 hour/day, full service permanent emergency shelter and transitional housing facility at 3030 Gordon Ave. in Coquitlam.  This facility will have 24 - 36 shelter beds and 25 transitional housing units.  The project is currently waiting for provincial funding.  Return to Top