B.C. Housing counts find sharp increases in homeless populations in Merritt, Williams Lake
VICTORIA — B.C. Housing’s latest Point-in-Time Homeless Count has revealed sharp increases in the homeless population since the last counts were completed at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government agency conducted inventories of homelessness in 20 B.C. communities during the spring of 2023. Larger communities such as Kamloops are not included. The Kamloops count is conducted in conjunction with the municipal government, non-profit organizations and health providers. Results from the 2023 homeless count in Kamloops are expected to be released shortly.
The B.C. Housing count found a 56 per cent increase in Merritt between 2023 (67 people) and 2020 (43). It was up by 51 per cent in Williams Lake, from 51 in 2020 to 77 in 2023.
The count increased by 25 per cent over two years in Vernon — 224 in 2021 to 279 this year.
