A recent provincial homeless count revealed a disproportionately high number of women experiencing homelessness in Kitimat, marking a concerning anomaly in comparison to other surveyed communities.
The survey identified 55 homeless individuals in Kitimat, with women making up 67 per cent of this figure. This is a significant deviation from the average of 36 per cent women counted in the other 19 communities surveyed this year. This includes Northwest counts in Terrace (41 per cent of 156 people counted) and Smithers (31 per cent of 57 people counted).
The Tamitik Status of Women Association (TSW) was one of the agencies asked to conduct the survey on behalf of BC Housing. TSW runs several programs aimed at supporting women, which may have contributed to the higher visibility of homeless women during the count.
“That’s not to say there isn’t another reason,” said TSW executive director Jordana Velho, “but we have to have more buy-in from the other agencies. It was the majority of TSW that really stepped up, and our main clientele is women.”
Velho is hopeful the reasons for the possibly flawed count in the first year of Kitimat’s survey will be identified and corrected for next year. The gender results indicate services for women are robust and effective, but it also suggests there may be far more men experiencing homelessness than what the survey has found, and they’re not receiving the services they need.
This is the first year Kitimat was included in the B.C. government’s point-in-time survey, conducted over a 24-hour period beginning on the evening of March 27 this year.
It provides a snapshot of information about gender, age, racial identity, health conditions, service use and factors that contribute to homelessness. The method is widely understood to underestimate the actual number of people experiencing homelessness, but is valued for gauging trends and issues.
Kitimat Mayor Phill Germuth hopes the “sobering” data from other facets of the survey will leverage more funding from BC Housing for Kitimat’s cold-weather shelter, particularly if men are being missed in the count.
The province rejected a cost-sharing plan to open the shelter year-round earlier this year on the grounds it is underutilized. This baffled council, who directed staff to appeal for further consideration.
“This is an issue for Kitimat just as it is for other communities. We’re going to keep looking for solutions. We appreciate the knowledge that this report provides,” Germuth said. “Having a count and a study done actually gives us a lot to work with.”
The survey has also underscored a concerning prevalence of homelessness among Indigenous individuals, who constituted 76 per cent of the identified homeless population, despite representing only 15 per cent of the census population — a disparity reflected across the province.
Germuth said the district will undoubtedly be communicating with the Haisla Nation on the matter.
“Our communities are so close together. What affects one affects the other. So it makes sense that we look at this together and advocate together to the provincial government for more housing options and programs,” he said.
Other Survey Findings
An individual is defined as homeless if they do not have a place of their own where they pay rent and can expect to stay for at least the next 30 days. On the night of the survey, 76 per cent of the “unsheltered” homeless slept on the street, on a friend’s couch, or in their cars.
Only 24 per cent were “sheltered,” meaning they found space in a shelter or transition house, or they were staying temporarily in hospitals, jails, or detox facilities without a fixed address.
The data from all 20 communities surveyed this year indicate a rise in homelessness across the province. In Kitimat, 75 per cent of those identified were between the ages of 25 and 54. Seniors accounted for five per cent, and the remaining 20 per cent were youth—a demographic often underreported due to the survey methodology.
Forty-seven per cent of respondents cited conflict with a spouse or partner as a reason for losing housing. Thirty-seven per cent cited low income, and 30 per cent reported conflicts with their landlord.
Sixty-two per cent of participants reported two or more health concerns, including physical disability (32 per cent), mental health conditions (62 per cent), learning disabilities (26 per cent), and addictions (44 per cent).
Regarding residency in Kitimat, 73 per cent of the surveyed individuals had lived in the district for more than one year. Among them, 69 per cent had been residents for over five years, and 38 per cent had spent their entire lives in Kitimat.
The collected data from these provincially funded community counts will amalgamate with five federally funded and two independent counts to generate the comprehensive 2023 report on homelessness, expected to be released later this winter.
British Columbia stands as the only province in Canada to fund provincial point-in-time counts that align with federally funded counts, offering a unique province-wide perspective on homelessness, the government says.