Vancouver Homeless Count Shows 30% Rise in Unsheltered Homelessness as Supportive Housing Units Sit Empty
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
The 2025 Greater Vancouver Homeless Count found 5,232 people experiencing homelessness, marking a 9% increase since 2023 and a 141% increase since 2005. The sharpest rise was in Delta, where total homelessness surged by 70% and unsheltered homelessness jumped by 115%. The North Shore saw a 67% increase, followed by Ridge Meadows at 66%.
Indigenous peoples remain disproportionately affected, making up 34% of those counted. More than half of Indigenous respondents were unsheltered, compared to 42% of non-Indigenous respondents, a clear reflection of the ongoing impact of colonization.
In total, 1,893 people were living unsheltered in 2025, a 30% increase from 2023.
These alarming figures come just months after BC Housing Action Coalition (BCHAC) research uncovered 191 vacant supportive and SRO housing units across just two BC providers, with another 151 units with unconfirmed status.
Communities have been asking for years why housing units sit empty while homelessness rises. This is a matter of accountability, transparency, and basic human rights. BCHAC has met with the Ministry of Housing to raise these concerns and is expanding its research to determine how many people counted as homeless in BC could have been housed in existing units.
We need urgent action to ensure these homes are filled and to ensure all people have access to safe, dignified housing.
Help us push for action! Tell the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation to hold BC Housing accountable with higher standards, full transparency, actions for reconciliation, and recognition that housing is a human right.
Learn More:
- Review the BCHAC Data on Vacant Units
- Review Homeless Counts Across BC