A total of 80 people were counted as experiencing homelessness in Powell River in the latest point-in-time survey, that’s a drop from 126 reported in the 2023 edition.
Most of those counted were unsheltered.
The count included both sheltered and unsheltered people. “Sheltered” refers to those in shelters, hospitals, holding cells or other overnight facilities on the night of the count (March 7, 2025).
Of the total, 59 were unsheltered and 21 sheltered.
The survey asked how long respondents had lived in the community. Eighty-eight per cent had been there one year or more, 71 per cent five years or more, and 25 per cent said they had always lived in the area.
The report notes Indigenous people are consistently overrepresented among those experiencing homelessness: 39 per cent of respondents identified as Indigenous, compared with six per cent of the census population.
Insufficient income was cited most often as a cause of homelessness (28 per cent). Twenty-two per cent mentioned conflict with a parent or guardian, and 22 per cent cited unfit or unsafe housing.
Most people experiencing homelessness were between the ages of 25 and 54. Twenty per cent were seniors, and 23 per cent were youths under 25.
Only nine per cent of respondents reported having a full or part-time job.
The data also included substance use and mental health. Eighty-one per cent reported substance use; 78 per cent reported mental health challenges.
Among those reporting substance use: 50 per cent used opiates, 54 per cent used stimulants, 39 per cent used alcohol, 61 per cent used cannabis, and 83 per cent used nicotine.
This year, the province released count data from 20 communities.
Click here to view data from the 2025 Powell River point-in-time survey from the Homelessness Services Association of B.C.
– Article includes information from Homelessness Services Association of B.C. via Province of British Columbia
