One-Third of Vancouver’s Homeless Are Seniors in Canada

Liza J. Lee | WBN News Vancouver | June 23, 2025

Canada's population growth has slowed to a crawl in 2025, yet its homelessness crisis is accelerating—especially among older adults. With billions lost annually to emergency housing and health costs, why isn’t more housing being built?

📌 At A Glance:

Canada’s population hits 41.5M with near-zero growth in early 2025
30K–35K people are unhoused each night; up to 300K experience it annually
1 in 3 shelter residents in cities like Vancouver are now 55+ seniors
The annual economic cost of homelessness exceeds $10B
Fragmented policy and funding gaps hamper real solutions

🔍 What Is It?

Canada’s homelessness crisis is a complex, system-wide failure intersecting with aging demographics, inflated housing costs, and policy inertia. While the country’s overall population barely budged this year—impacted by declining immigration and fewer temporary residents—homelessness surged, particularly among seniors.

💡 Why It Matters to Everyone

For business owners and taxpayers alike, inaction is expensive. Emergency shelters, hospitalizations, policing, and social interventions cost more annually than proactive housing would. Investment in affordable homes supports long-term economic resilience, workforce stability, and healthier communities.

As of 2025, seniors aged 55 and older now make up about one-third of the shelter population in some major cities like Vancouver. That’s a significant increase from just a few years ago, when they accounted for roughly a quarter.

The trend is being driven by several factors:

Rising rents and fixed incomes that don’t keep pace with inflation.
Evictions due to renovations or redevelopment of long-term rental units.
Seniors being discharged from hospitals find they’ve lost their housing while away.

🛡️ Trust, Safety, and Regulation

Housing support in Canada spans federal, provincial, and municipal levels—leading to overlapping mandates and patchy results. Initiatives like Reaching Home and the National Housing Strategy exist, but critics say funding still overwhelmingly favors homeownership rather than deep affordability.

🌍 Broader Impact

Chronic homelessness is not just a humanitarian issue; it’s a policy canary. As older Canadians make up an increasing share of those unhoused, Canada risks a crisis of care. The creation of public developers like Build Canada Homes offers hope, but the clock is ticking on delivering scalable solutions.

🧩 Signature

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Tags: #WBN News Vancouver #Liza J Lee #Canada Housing Crisis #Seniors At Risk #Affordable Housing Now #Vancouver Homeless