Article content

Metro Vancouver mayors say homelessness in the region has reached crisis proportions, and the situation may be even more dire in the suburbs and rural areas than in Vancouver.

The latest numbers show that the unsheltered homeless population in Metro Vancouver jumped 26 per cent every year since 2011, and about five people become homeless every week. Today, roughly 4,000 people in the region are in immediate need of housing, the report said. The sobering numbers were released Monday at a press conference announcing the recommendations of Metro Vancouver’s homeless task force to tackle the problem.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Metro Vancouver mayors say homelessness has reached crisis in B.C. Back to video

Photo by Mark van Manen / PNG

Metro Vancouver mayors blamed the growing problem on the provincial government under premier Christy Clark, saying the province has not supported municipalities with either a comprehensive plan or funding resources for locally-led initiatives.

“We were very successful for three years in bringing the street homeless population down from over 800 to under 150,” said Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson, who co-chairs the task force, and first ran for election in 2008. “In 2011, things turned, and Christy Clark became the premier of B.C. There was no commitment to solving homelessness here in the province.”