Homeless counts show more support needed, progress underway

Press Release

Oct. 2, 2025

VICTORIA – Data taken from the latest provincewide homeless counts indicates that homelessness continues to affect people throughout British Columbia, including youth, families, seniors and individuals from all backgrounds.

Recent findings from the 2025 provincially funded point-in-time (PiT) homeless counts show that more support is needed for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in B.C. communities. Data from the 20 communities counted indicates that eight communities saw a decrease in the total number of people identified as experiencing homelessness during the 24-hour period, while 12 communities saw an increase compared to the previous count in 2023.

“We know more needs to be done to help the most vulnerable members of our communities, and that’s why we’re building safe, secure homes and providing needed supports to help people overcome the cycle of homelessness,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “We are seeing some positive results through our Belonging in B.C. plan, as our homeless and encampment response and temporary housing solutions are providing rapid, co-ordinated, multidisciplinary responses when encampments arise.”

The 2025 point-in-time homelessness counts captured information from 20 B.C. communities, through volunteer surveyors over a 24-hour period. The counts provide a snapshot of information about gender, age, Indigenous identity, racial identity, health conditions, service use and factors that contribute to homelessness.

As in previous years, Indigenous people and former children in care are still over-represented in the counts. This year’s counts included new, Indigenous-led approaches to make the process more culturally safe and trauma-informed, and included changes that helped reach people who are often missed in traditional counts.

Data from these provincially funded community counts will be combined with 10 federally funded and two independent counts to produce the full 2024-25 Report on Homeless Counts, to be released this winter. B.C. is the only province to fund provincial point-in-time counts that align with federally funded counts, and the only province to produce a provincewide picture of homelessness.

Belonging in B.C. is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the Province has created nearly 93,600 homes that have been delivered or are underway, including more than 9,600 supportive homes for people experiencing homelessness.

Learn More:

BC Housing worked with the Homelessness Services Association of B.C. and the B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres to co-ordinate the counts. A full list of community profiles captured through the 2025 point-in-time counts can be found here: https://www.bchousing.org/research-centre/housing-data/homeless-counts

To learn more about Belonging in B.C., visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HOUS0019-000436

To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing/

A backgrounder follows.

Contacts:

Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs
Media Relations
236 475-4435

BC Housing
Media Relations
media@bchousing.org

BACKGROUNDER

Point-in-time counts provide snapshot of homelessness

People sheltering outdoors or in encampments face challenges getting the help they need to move away from homelessness. Addressing this complex issue requires the best possible information about the people affected and the challenges they face.

The Province started funding PiT counts in 2018. Prior to 2018, some local governments in the province had been conducting counts since 2002.

Other communities in B.C. produce independent counts without financial assistance from either the province or the federal government. Data taken from all of the provincially funded PiT counts will be combined with the results of the federally funded and independent counts to get a more fulsome provincial snapshot. The full 2024-25 Report on Homeless Counts will be released this winter.

The Province funded PiT counts in the following communities in 2025: