Government doing "bad job" on homelessness in Metro Vancouver: survey

Governments are doing a "bad job" with addressing homelessness in Metro Vancouver: survey

A Vancouver homeless man's sign notes he was originally from Winnipeg. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

A majority of British Columbians believe all three levels of government — federal, provincial, and municipal — are failing with coming up with effective solutions to deal with homelessness.

There is a perception that the federal government, in particular, is not doing enough, with 61% of BC residents believing Ottawa has done a bad job with the West Coast’s crisis, according to a new Research Co. survey. The provincial government and municipal government are just slightly behind, with 56% and 55%, respectively, asserting they are doing terribly with tackling homelessness.

Amongst residents of Metro Vancouver, 58% believe the federal government is doing a bad job, 55% say the same of the provincial government’s efforts, and 54% for their own municipal government.

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Across Metro Vancouver, 68% of residents believe homelessness is currently a “major problem,” with 51% stating the same for the situation in their own municipality, and 29% for their own neighbourhood. Similar ratios were recorded amongst residents of the Fraser Valley, with 62% indicating the federal government is doing a bad job, 54% for the provincial government, and 59% for their own municipal government.

Residents are possibly more likely to place the onus of homelessness action on the federal and provincial governments, given that they have more financial and operational resources to plan and implement meaningful policies and programs on major problems that transcend municipal borders.

Moreover, the homelessness crisis in BC is in part due to the migrating nature of the population, with individuals experiencing homelessness elsewhere in BC and Canada congregating in Metro Vancouver — particularly in Vancouver and its Downtown Eastside area — for both its climate and concentration of social services.

When asked whether homelessness has increased over the past three years, 76% of Metro Vancouver residents stated this is true for the province as a whole, with 60% asserting a rise within their own municipality and 43% within their own neighbourhood.

The latest provincial homeless count report, based on data in 2020/2021, suggests there are at least approximately 9,000 homeless individuals in BC, including over 3,600 within Metro Vancouver and about 900 in the Fraser Valley.

As for the factors to blame for the escalating homelessness crisis, 59% of Metro Vancouver residents believe opioid addiction and mental health issues are the biggest major factor, while 27% blame this to the degree of “a fair amount.” This is followed by the lack of affordable housing, with 51% asserting it is a great deal of a factor and 30% “a fair amount.”

For the factor of poverty and inequality, 42% blame this as a major factor and another 38% deem this to be a “fair amount.” Personal actions and decisions are also noted as a factor, with 31% indicating a great deal and 41% “a fair amount.”

Poor economic conditions and unemployment are the lowest rated factor for the current homelessness crisis, with only 24% saying it is a big factor and 41% “a fair amount.” The unemployment rate in Metro Vancouver is currently hovering at a low of only 4.7%.

When asked about ways to reduce homelessness in the province through supply-related measures, 80% of Metro Vancouver residents agree with the idea of increasing temporary housing options for the homeless, 68% agree with setting aside more tax money for building more housing for the homeless, 75% agree with offering incentives to developers to build more affordable homes, and 59% agree with changing zoning on standard lots to build more units.

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