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The proportion of Aboriginal people who are homeless in Metro Vancouver has hit a record high, according to a new Aboriginal homeless report.

The report, which is based on the 2017 homeless count in Metro, found First Nations people were overrepresented among the homeless population, accounting for 34 per cent of the homeless in the region, despite making up 2.5 per cent of the population.

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“This 2017 Homeless Count in Metro Vancouver underscores what we already know: that Aboriginal people are disproportionately affected by homelessness, and that fewer of them are accessing shelter,” said David Wells, chairman of the Aboriginal Homelessness Steering Committee (AHSC).

“Low-income, urban, Aboriginal people are struggling to survive in an environment where housing is unaffordable and the cost of living continues to climb.”

The count, which was conducted in a 24-hour period on March 8, found 746 people who were living in streets or shelters who identified as Aboriginal — a 28-per-cent jump from the last count in 2014 and the highest ever recorded in the regional count, both in terms of numbers and as a proportion of the population.