The province says the death rate among homeless people has seen an increase and it’s an indicator people are struggling more than ever.
According to the BC Coroner’s Service report from 2023, deaths are up 23 per cent from 2022 and that’s nearly triple the amount from 2022 which means more needs to be done to address homelessness.
Chief Coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan says the number is tragic, especially when more can be done to help those in need.
“The data speaks to the tragic reality of the struggles many faces in our communities throughout BC,” Baidwan says. “During the period studied, between 2016 and 2023, the deaths of 1,940 people were reported to the BC Coroners Service, identified as experiencing homelessness.”
According to the report, more than half of the reported deaths were people between the ages of 30 and 49, and 79 per cent of decedents were male.
The report also says 47 per cent were unsheltered, and in 2023 91 per cent of people experiencing homelessness were classified as accidental (419), and 86 per cent were due to accidental unregulated drug toxicity (394).
According to the report Vancouver Island had the second-highest number of deaths, which included 55 spread across the Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo and Tofino.
Central Vancouver saw the most with 77 deaths and left Fraser East trailing with 50 deaths.
