Study found 224 homeless people in Vernon in 2021

Mar 16, 2022 | 3:58 PM

A study conducting counts of homeless people in communities across B.C. found 224 people experienced homelessness in Vernon last year.

The point in time count was done on the evening of May 6 and the day of May 7, 2021. The data was compiled into a report by the Homelessness Services Association of B.C. in order to provide a snapshot of homelessness in Vernon.

The 224 individuals identified during the count reflect a 48 per cent increase since the 2019 count that identified 151 homeless individuals locally.

The results of the count found that, of the 224 homeless people in Vernon, 76 per cent were sheltered, and 24 per cent were unsheltered.

Of the unsheltered respondents, 67 per cent spent their nights outside, 13 per cent had makeshift shelters or tents, and 11 per cent slept in vehicles.

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An overview of the number of people experiencing homelessness in Vernon and where they spend their nights (graphic courtesy of the Homelessness Services Association of B.C.)

The count found that 81 per cent of people experiencing homelessness locally were adults between the ages of 25 and 54. Nine per cent were under the age of 25 and 11 per cent were seniors aged 55 and over.

The report stated that 64 per cent of the homeless population were male, 33 per cent were female and the remaining three per cent had another gender identity. Additionally, 11 per cent of respondents identified as 2SLGBTQIA+, and three per cent of respondents identified as having a transgender experience.

A total of 40 per cent of those surveyed identified as Indigenous. The report notes that this is much higher than the seven per cent of the general population who identified as Indigenous locally in the 2016 census.

It’s noted that 35 per cent of the homeless population reported having a brain injury, and that 72 per cent had two or more health concerns.

The top health concern listed was addiction (85 per cent), followed by mental health issues (63 per cent), physical disability (48 per cent), medical conditions (43 per cent) and learning disabilities (37 per cent).

The most common reported health conditions within the local homeless population (graphic courtesy of the Homelessness Services Association of B.C.)

The study found that 63 per cent of the local homeless population had been homeless for a year or longer, while 25 per cent had been without a home for less than six months. Additionally, 84 per cent of respondents had been in the community for at least a year, and 42 per cent had been in Vernon for 10 years or more.

The biggest contributors for losing their houses were not having enough income (39 per cent), substance-use issues (26 per cent), and conflicts with a partner (23 per cent).

The most common reasons for housing loss (graphic courtesy of the Homelessness Services Association of B.C.)

It was reported that 70 per cent of the local homeless population had accessed a food service locally, 56 per cent had sought help at an emergency room and 55 per cent had accessed service at a health clinic.

A total of 96 per cent of respondents indicated that they had one or more sources of income. Those include income assistance (62 per cent), disability benefit (34 per cent) and bottle collection (21 per cent).

B.C. Housing, Homelessness Policy and Partnership Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing, and the Homelessness Services Association of B.C. collaborated with each other on the homeless count.

Vernon was one of 16 communities surveyed in 2020 and 2021 as part of the homeless count initiative.

by Liam Verster

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