Homelessness
Homelessness Action Strategy and Needs Assessment
Since the Homelessness Needs Assessment, a variety of strategies and data collection methods have continued to inform the City around the needs of its unhoused population. The most recent numbers out of the 2023 Point-in-Time Homeless Count in Greater Vancouver have identified the following:
- There are a total of 203 sheltered and unsheltered unhoused living in New Westminster. 'Sheltered' refers to those who are able to find a space to sleep for the evening (e.g., a nightly shelter) while 'unsheltered' refers to those who cannot (e.g., they are sleeping outside at night).
- Of those who participated in the count, 76% said they were between the ages of 25-54, while 22% were 55 and older. Those in the youth category—under 25—made up 2% of the count.
- With respects to how long they'd been in the City of New Westminster for, 19% said they'd been in New Westminster for one to five years, while 11% said between five and ten years. Those who had lived in the community for more than 10 years made up 26% of the survey, while 7% said they'd always lived in the community.
It is important to remember the 2023 Point-in-Time Homeless Count is a snapshot of what a community's unhoused population looks like, and that these are often undercounts as they take place over a 24-hour period of time. They also happen once every three years.
The City of New Westminster and BC Housing and direct service providers to those who are unhoused have collaborated on a number of housing initiatives to better serve the homeless population in New Westminster, addressing business and resident concerns regarding homelessness and its associated impacts.
Emphasizing longer-term transitional and permanent supportive housing, these initiatives create a housing continuum which enables the unhoused to achieve independence and self-sufficiency.
The CRISES RESPONSE PILOT PROJECT
In November 2023, New Westminster City Council approved a two-year organizational pilot project and strategy to address the overlapping crises of being unhoused, navigating mental health and/or navigating addiction. The pilot has a number of goals it is looking to achieve, though the ultimate aim is to transition responsibility to senior levels of government.
There are three inter-departmental staff teams involved in the pilot, and they include:
- CRT Outreach
- The Operations Support Team
- The Policy Development and Advocacy Team
We invite you to learn more about the work being done through the pilot by visiting the Crises Response Project page.