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Vernon’s homeless numbers see modest decrease

An annual fall survey found there are 151 homeless people in the city compared to 161 in 2018
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A fall homeless survey found there are 151 people living on the streets in Vernon, down from last year’s count of 161. (Jennifer Smith - Morning Star)

In a year in which Vernon has seen the opening of a low-income apartment complex, the city’s homeless population has seen a modest decrease.

In 2018 an annual homeless count found that 161 people were living on the streets in Vernon, according to a report that will be presented to Vernon City Council on Monday. This year’s count found there were 151 homeless people living in the city.

The homeless count came courtesy of the fourth-annual Point-in-Time census conducted by the Camp Okanagan Outreach Liaison (COOL) Team, which took place on the night of Oct. 16 and the morning of Oct. 17.

This year’s 6.2 per cent decrease in the city’s homeless population comes on the back of a significant investment. My Place is a 52-unit supportive housing complex that opened May 23, 2019. It houses people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The units are not counted in the homeless survey as they are considered permanent accommodation.

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According to the report, the annual surveys show that about 30 per cent of Vernon’s homeless are new to the city each year but the annual homelessness rate does not increase by 30 percent. “Just like any other demographic, people move in and out of the community,” the report reads.

As well, 60 per cent of the people surveyed said they had grown up in Vernon or had family ties to the city. When those who moved to Vernon were asked why they’d come, reconnecting with family members was the most common response.

“People come to Vernon from a variety of places and for a variety of reasons. Moving to Vernon to access services is not the most common reason,” the report states.

The report offers recommendations for further curbing homelessness in the city. Topping the list is adding more supported housing projects like My Place.

Other recommendations are geared towards encouraging action from senior levels of government - things like increasing income assistance rates, funding affordable housing projects in Vernon and extending support for children in foster care as they transition into early adulthood.

The report compares homeless counts conducted by the Partners in Action Committee over the last decade, and notes that there is a “strong correlation between the rental vacancy rate and the number of people sleeping outside.” Since 2017 vacancy rates have been at their lowest in the past 10 years at just 1.5 per cent.

The report was produced by Turning Points Collaborative, the Social Planning Council, the Community Safety Office.

“We wish to thank our homeless population who took part in the survey, told their truth, and trusted the COOL Team with their story. We want each and every person who is homeless in Vernon to know that they count and that their voices have been heard,” read the report’s conclusion.


Brendan Shykora
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Brendan Shykora

About the Author: Brendan Shykora

I started as a carrier at the age of 8. In 2019 graduated from the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University.
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