Homeless count: More than 70% of homeless are from Nanaimo

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Tuesday afternoon COVID-19 update

There has been one death and two new cases of COVID-19 in the Island Health region. The new cases are among 267 confirmed in BC since Friday. The death is among three that occurred over that time. Two deaths were residents of long term care homes on the lower mainland. BC's Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry says Island Health officials did not know the man who died on Vancouver Island was suffering from COVID-19.

"This was a man in his sixties, who did have underlying health conditions and unfortunately died in the community at home and was identified as being positive for COVID after his death. So very disturbing and tragic for his family and our condolences go out to his family and his community."—Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

The unidentified man's death is the first in the Island Health region since May the 6th. 233 people have died from COVID-19 in BC, including six in Island Health.

Most sleep rough due to a lack of temporary shelters

Nanaimo has one of the country's highest per-capita homeless rates, and it leads the nation in the number of homeless people sleeping on the streets. Those conclusions are in a homeless count conducted in the city last March. Last night, the team that led the study presented details to city council. It said the current homeless population of 430 people is two and a half times higher than it was at the last count in 2018. More than 70 per cent are from Nanaimo. And most of them, sixty-two percent, are sleeping rough due to a lack of temporary shelters. The Executive Director of the local United Way says most people think the homeless in Nanaimo are the people they see downtown, causing trouble. Signy Madden says that group makes up less than 10 per cent of those without a place to call home. She says the vast majority are simply poor.

"They're Nanaimo people who just can't afford housing because of the increasing cost of housing. You've lost your housing because you're 69, you're on a fixed income and your apartment's been put up for sale. And brain injury. 23 per cent of folks have brain injuries, often from workplaces. They've been working for three to five years in the forest industry or some other industry and now they are unable to work and can't find a living."—Signy Madden, Executive Director of United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island.

Madden says delivering services to those without shelter has been tough on service providers, who she says are burning out. Madden warns homelessness will likely increase over the next six months to a year, as government COVID-response programs wind down.