The homeless population in Nanaimo, B.C. is growing fast, as indicated by a recent report.
The fourth consecutive Nationally Coordinated Point-in-Time Count took place in Nanaimo. was conducted on April 27, 2023.
Researchers discovered that at least 515 individuals were without homes in Nanaimo, marking a nearly 19% rise from the previous survey in the spring of 2020 and almost a 200% increase from 2016.
“On the day of the2023 count, 78.4% of those counted were 'unsheltered', meaning they were staying in public spaces, encampments, vehicles, makeshift shelters, or in places not meant for people to live,” the report states.
“The percentage of Unsheltered has increased since 2020 and has gone back to nearly the 2018 level of 83%, which is significantly higher than almost any other community that conducts PiT (point in time) Counts in Canada.”
The report mentioned that in Victoria’s 2023 count, only 14.5% of those counted were sleeping rough or in places unsuitable for human habitation.
The large number of unsheltered homeless people indicates a shortage of emergency and other shelter spaces in Nanaimo, according to the report.
Leonard Krog, the Mayor of Nanaimo, told Global News that he believes the actual number is much higher.
“The new numbers are sadly no surprise, it shows a substantial increase, that was expected, and even the report itself notes that most of the people on the front lines, including our own firefighters, CSOs and bylaw officers, believe the number is closer to 1,000 than the actual official count,” he said.
Ravi Kahlon, the Housing Minister, stated that 1,600 affordable housing units in Nanaimo are either already built or under construction.
“We just announced 100 supportive housing units with Nanaimo a couple of months ago,” he said. “And we actually are actively working with the city right now, with staff to identify more sites so that we can get people indoors and get them the support they need.”
Kahlon mentioned that the province was having difficulty helping the City of Nanaimo find locations for affordable housing.
“We know the data is clear that when you get people into housing, you can get them the supports that they need, get them the stability that they need,” he said. “And that’s why we’ve been focusing on getting housing built and getting housing online.”
