The point in time homeless count for 2023 has been released and Penticton鈥檚 numbers aren鈥檛 good, with the city seeing a 45 per cent increase in the unhoused population since 2021.
According to BC Housing鈥檚 24-hour snapshot in time taken April 27, it identified 166 people experiencing homelessness compared to 114 in 2021.
Of those, 55 per cent were sheltered in one of Penticton鈥檚 supportive housing or shelters and 45 per cent were unsheltered. Of those unsheltered, 47 per cent slept outside, 18 per cent in makeshift shelters or tents and 15 per cent in their vehicle.
The majority of unhoused were adults, making up 85 per cent, and six percent were youth under 25. Seniors made up nine per cent.
The majority (68 per cent) of those experiencing homelessness in Penticton are men, 30 per cent are women and two per cent are another gender identity.
The number of Indigenous people who are experiencing homelessness has increased, with 39 per cent of respondents identified as Indigenous compared to 31 per cent in 2021.
Of those, 75 per cent reported having lived or generational experience with residential school.
Indigenous people make up 6 per cent of the overall Census population.
The number of respondents indicating having physical health and an addiction issue increased since 2021, as did the proportion of respondents who identified two or more health concerns.
The number of respondents indicating they are living with an acquired brain injury increased by 12 per cent from 2021.
Of those who identified as homeless, 54 per cent had an acquired brain injury and 75 per cent reported two or more health concerns.
The majority of those health concerns reported were from addiction, with 71 per cent saying they suffered substance use disorder.
A total of 98 per cent of respondents to the snapshot in time said they had income from either income assistance and or disability. Around 68 per cent had used the emergency room in the last year and 62 per cent were in hospital (non-emergency).
The largest reason for being unhoused was not enough income (36 per cent), followed by mental health (26 per cent) and substance use issues (25 per cent).
More than half had lived in Penticton for more than one year.
