The City of Surrey announced Tuesday a new plan for addressing homelessness, which it says has increased 65 percent in the past three years.
The city’s plan, entitled A Pathway to Home: Surrey Homelessness Prevention + Response Plan, it says outlines a “roadmap” for homelessness response for the next five years.
The 114-page plan identifies targets for four housing types: shelter spaces, transitional housing, supportive housing, and independent non-market housing; and an implementation framework for delivering on those targets.
“Based on data from the 2023 Homelessness Count in Greater Vancouver, Surrey will require 2,326 new spaces/units by 2030,” the city explained.
“In addition to housing, the plan calls for the creation of a coordinated homelessness services system, where people can access the housing, services, and supports they need at the right time.”
Included in the plan is a chart of data gathered by the Lu’ma Native Housing Society, showing that in 2023, 1,060 people were reported as experiencing homelessness in Surrey — 38 per cent were either unsheltered or sheltered only in an extreme weather response location.
Mayor Brenda Locke says the city is committed to a functional end to homelessness, adding that housing alone is not the answer.
“Understanding the complex, interrelated challenges that some individuals face is a reminder that we need innovative solutions that address both the health and housing needs of individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness,” said Locke.
“We need to focus on services that will support people through transitions in their lives, provide individual, rather than one-size-fits-all solutions, and ensure housing and services are culturally appropriate and safe.”
Lu’ma Native Housing Society’s data projects that by 2029 the number of people experiencing homelessness in Surrey will grow to 2,020.