Lack of affordable housing causing spike in number of working homeless on streets of Vancouver
RainCity Housing seeing higher numbers of low income workers accessing services, needing support
VANCOUVER, BC - April 7, 2007 -With Vancouver’s lack of affordable housing having a job no longer guarantees being able to afford a safe, secure place to live. Outreach workers at RainCity Housing and Support Society are seeing a spike in the number of homeless who hold down jobs but are spending their nights on the streets. This increase in working homeless contributes to the rising problem of homelessness and adds additional pressures on organizations like RainCity Housing who provide housing and support services to Vancouver’s homeless population.
Some of the people affected have had an unanticipated setback—dismissal from a job, break up of a marriage or other life changing experience—and found themselves without a safety net. RainCity Housing provides a number of services to help these people get back on their feet including outreach support, food services, and shelter services. However, the growing demand from this sector of the homeless population is taking the focus away from those among the homeless who are living with complex health issues.
“Seeing this rise in the working poor on the streets adds an additional challenge to providing services and support to the homeless,” says Mark Smith, Executive Director of RainCity Housing and Support Society. “Our mandate is to provide innovative housing and support services to people living with mental illness, addiction and other health challenges but we can’t ignore those who are homeless due to a combination of other circumstance. Additional resources are going to be required if the lack of affordable housing in our city continues.”
RainCity Housing and Support Society is a leading provider of housing and support services for the homeless in Vancouver. It is a grassroots organization built around compassion, purpose and a commitment to delivering progressive housing and support solutions for people living with mental illness, addictions and other challenges. Programs and services include emergency housing, supported housing, women’s housing, permanent housing, community living support, outreach programs, food services and life skills management support. For more information, please visit www.raincityhousing.org.
