A new report from B.C. Coroners Service shows 507 people died while experiencing homelessness in 2024.
The B.C. Coroners Service released the latest update into the report, Deaths of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness, 2016-2024, on Friday (April 24). The report, which looks at the period of Jan. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2024, shows 2,501 deaths over the nine years.
The B.C. Coroners Service says the data in the report is based on suspected homelessness where: “no fixed address” was given as the person’s home address or the location of the death was identified as a homeless shelter.
A person experiencing homelessness is defined as: unsheltered, where they’re living outdoors, in a make-shift shelter, a parked vehicle, a vacant home, or any other structure not intended for habitation; sheltered, where the person is staying at an overnight shelter or is temporarily sheltered (suspected to be for less than 30 days) by friends or family, in a short-term shelter, safe house for youth, or transition house for women and children fleeing violence.
People living in short-term shelters, safe houses, or transition houses for an unknown length of time were also included.
In 2024, about 49 per cent of those who died met the criteria for unsheltered homelessness, while 30 per cent were sheltered. The report notes that the proportion of unsheltered compared with sheltered individuals has remained relatively consistent over the years.
Winter months – January, February and December – accounted for the highest proportion of deaths in 2024 at 28 per cent, followed by the spring months – March to May –at 26 per cent.
In 2024, three-quarters of those who died were men. Forty-seven per cent of the men who died were unsheltered, compared to 37 per cent of women.
Seventy-five per cent of those who died were between the ages of 30 and 59.
Broken down by health authority, Island Health had the most deaths in 2024 with 129, followed by Fraser Health with 121.
However, broken down by regions, Vancouver had the most deaths with 85, followed by Surrey at 44, Greater Victoria with 36 and Nanaimo with 36.
The B.C. Coroners Service says 78 per cent of deaths in 2024, or 396, were attributed to accidental drug overdoses.