The number of homeless people living in Metro Vancouver has grown by 22-per cent in the past three years, with the biggest gains coming in the Tri-Cities of Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Port Moody.
Adelle Garfano is one of the nearly 2,700 homeless people in Metro Vancouver, according to The Greater Vancouver Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness (RSCH), which has released the results of a region-wide survey conducted on March 11, 2008..
She has lived in a camp in Port Coquitlam for eight months, along with friends who have been there much longer.
Garfano says she didn't forsee the day when she would be living on the street.
"I used to have a 15-year insurance career, my dad was an alderman in this town and my parents don't like me because I was a drug addict and I don't blame them,'' she said.
The 2008 homeless count reveals the homeless population is aging. The number of women is increasing and people are remaining homeless for longer periods of time.
Like Adelle, 61 per cent are addicted to drugs.
"We need more affordable housing, we've got to get people off the street,'' said Val MacDonald of the Metro Vancover Housing Committee.
Adelle has been trying to find a home for months, without success.
In 2002 there were 13 homeless people in the tri cities. Now there are 91, many of them in Port Coquitlam.
Results of the 2008 Homeless Count are as follows:
- Vancouver still has the largest homeless population at 1372
- Surrey 388
- New Westminster 123
- North Vancouver 116
- Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows have 85
- Burnaby 84
- Other municipalities came in with under 80
"Actually the increase is slowing down but no one is pretending we don't have a significant challenge to meet,'' said B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Carrie Stefanson
