Campbell River’s most recent Point-in-Time Count has found a decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness in the city.

“We know more needs to be done to help the most vulnerable members of our communities, and that’s why we’re building safe, secure homes and providing needed supports to help people overcome the cycle of homelessness,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs.

“We are seeing some positive results through our Belonging in B.C. plan, as our homeless and encampment response and temporary housing solutions are providing rapid, coordinated, multidisciplinary responses when encampments arise.” 

The 24-hour survey, held on April 30th, brought together shelter and service providers, outreach workers, and people with lived experience to survey those experiencing homelessness.

The count identified 174 people experiencing homelessness in Campbell River, a decrease from 197 in 2023. Point-in-Time Counts, sometimes called “homeless counts,” are considered undercounts, as not everyone can be reached during the 24-hour survey.

The City notes the modest decline in 2025 coincided with the opening of Homewood, a 40-unit temporary supportive housing site created through a partnership between BC Housing, Campbell River, and Lookout Housing & Health Society. An additional eight units are now being added.

The PiT Count looks at both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness. In this case, sheltered refers specifically to staying somewhere designated to provide shelter such as an emergency shelter, transition house, hospital, holding cell, or detox facility.

In 2025, 125 respondents were unsheltered, with nearly one-third of those staying temporarily with friends or acquaintances.

58 percent of respondents identified as men, 40 percent as women, and 2 percent as another gender identity.

While most were adults between 25 and 54, one in four were seniors aged 55 and older, and nearly one in five were youth under 25.

47 percent of all respondents reported experiencing homelessness for the first time as youth, and 49 percent said they had been in foster care.

The overrepresentation of Indigenous people remains a deeply concerning trend.

58 percent of respondents identified as Indigenous, despite Indigenous people making up only 11 percent of Campbell River’s population.

As in previous years - and consistent with communities across BC - the majority of respondents experiencing homelessness were long-time residents.

In Campbell River, 60 percent lived in the community for five years or longer.

Community results from all PiT Count communities have been released and provincial stats will be released later this fall.

More information about PiT Counts and past results can be found at BC Housing.