Metro Vancouver Homeless Count 2011 Preliminary Report

A total of 2,623 people were found to be homeless on March 16 according to initial results from the 2011 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count. This included ‘unsheltered homeless’ or people who were found outside on the street, in parks, at drop-in programs and ‘sheltered homeless’ or those who spent the night in shelters, safe houses, transition houses, hospitals, jails, remand centres, and detox and recovery facilities.  

• Overall, there was a 1% decrease since the 2008 Count when the total number of people found homeless was 2,660.  

• Compared to 2008, the 2011 data shows a reduction in the number of unsheltered homeless people (e.g. on the streets, parks) and an increase in the number of homeless people who are spending their nights in sheltered locations.  

• In 2011, 731 homeless people were found to be unsheltered, representing a 54% decrease since 2008 when 1,574 unsheltered homeless people were counted. 

• In 2011, 1,892 homeless people were sheltered including 1,783 people who stayed in shelters, safe houses, transition houses, and 109 people with no fixed address (NFA) who stayed in hospitals, jails, remand centres, detox and recovery facilities. This represents a 74% increase since 2008, when 1,086 homeless people were counted as sheltered. 

• In 2011, 163 people were observed as homeless (compared to 398 in 2008). As in 2008, the observed homeless are not included in the total homeless number, as they were not interviewed and could have been counted elsewhere during the process.

Publication Date: 
2011
Location: 
Vancouver, BC, Canada