The 2017 Homeless Count in Metro Vancouver (2017 Count) paints a troubling picture of homelessness across the Metro Vancouver region, specifically when considering the disproportionate number of Aboriginal People experiencing homelessness.
The 2017 Count revealed that 746 of total survey respondents identified as Aboriginal, representing 34% of all participants. This is an astounding 28% increase from the 2014 Count, which found that 582 of total respondents identifying as Aboriginal were living in emergency shelters or on the streets, without a place to call home. This increase has outstripped homelessness increases in non-Aboriginal populations, with Aboriginal People now accounting for 34% of homelessness in Metro Vancouver (up from 31% in the 2014 Count).
The 2017 numbers are the highest reported to date in a regional count and constitute a strong over-representation of Aboriginal People compared to the total homeless population in Metro Vancouver.