City Of Campbell River On Results Of Latest Homeless Count

Last week, the City of Courtenay made an urgent call to action to deal with the homelessness crisis.

The City is looking at figures from the 2023 Homeless Count for the Comox Valley, which analyzes the latest numbers and key demographics for those who are experiencing homelessness, as well as the root causes behind their housing loss.

It showed the number of people experiencing homelessness in the Comox Valley has more than doubled since 2020, increasing from 132 to 272.

The situation in Campbell River is quite similar, where 197 people were identified as experiencing homelessness, compared to 116 in 2021.

The counts provide a snapshot of people who are experiencing homelessness in a 24-hour period, their demographic characteristics, service use and other information.

The 2023 Point-in-Time Count took place in Campbell River on the evening of April 25th and the daytime of April 26th and is likely an undercount.

Fifty percent of respondents to the Campbell River survey identified as Indigenous, down from 62 percent last year.

Sixteen percent of respondents reported having full or part time jobs.

For more information, visit City of Courtenay.