In 2025, the Province of British Columbia funded homeless counts in 20 communities. To virtually everyone’s surprise, the numbers were down in eight communities. Campbell River, Powell River, Comox and Parksville/Qualicum were among them. Port Alberni and Sechelt/Gibsons were not. In this morning’s broadcast, Cortes Currents looks into the reasons why, as well as some popular misconceptions and possible remedies about homelessness.
Continue reading Why Some Local 2025 Homeless Counts Dropped
By Patrick Penner, Tri-Cities Dispatch, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Port Moody is advocating for the province to test universal basic income (UBI) as a way of tackling poverty.
On Tuesday, council endorsed a wide-ranging list of requests to be sent to B.C. Premier David Eby as well as the minister of housing, the minister of social development and poverty reduction, the Lower Mainland Local Government Association, and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.
Continue reading Port Moody calls on province to trial universal basic income in its poverty plan
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Amy Romer, works as a mentor for Megaphone’s peer newsroom called The Shift in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.The Shift is made up of a diverse group of individuals with lived experience of poverty, who are reporting from the DTES instead of being reported on
Story by Jules Chapman, Michael Geilen and Amy Romer, Megaphone Magazine, Local Journalism Initiative
When one first arrives for Plenty of Plates outside of the iconic Save On Meats at 43 W. Hastings St., there are already people lined up wearing smiles and drinking hot chocolate.
Some have little tickets in hand. They’re the most excited because they’re guaranteed to be served a delicious and nutritious three-course, sit-down dining experience with all the coffee, Shirley Temples and sodas they could ever want. Those without tickets cross their fingers and hope there’s space.
It’s a new system created by Ash MacLeod, executive director of A Better Life Foundation and the creator of Plenty Of Plates, in response to the meals’ popularity. MacLeod is on a first-name basis with most of his patrons, and as a way of encouraging new faces, he’s begun distributing tickets, valid for specific days, to targeted organizations in the Downtown Eastside (DTES).
Continue reading From pessimism to hope in a three-course meal
By Sidney Coles, Capital Daily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Things got heated between community housing advocates, unhoused residents, and Victoria City Council last Thursday night. For members of the public who presented at the Dec. 12 meeting, it was an opportunity to express their anger, frustration, and deep sorrow in the face of the deaths of several of their friends and chosen family in recent weeks. Their grief and anger were palpable. And they were righteous.
Continue reading After 13 Fatalities: Victoria housing advocates and residents pull no punches with City councilEditor’s Note: When asked what caused their most recent housing loss, the #1 answer in all 20 Point-in-Time Counts taken in BC last year was ‘not enough income.’ In Campbell River a quarter of the respondents had been homeless for less than 6 months and 65% had been Campbell River residents for five years or more. When the 2021 Census was taken, 12,835 Campbell River residents, 200 households in Area C and 70 households on Cortes Island were spending more than 30% of their income on housing. They are considered to be ‘at risk’ of becoming homeless.
In the following story, the residents of a 38 unit subsidized housing complex in Victoria are about to be turned out to make way for a new housing development. They have been promised first right of refusal in the new development’s subsidized units, once it is built. Meanwhile, as they do not possess sufficient income to pay market rental rates, many will most likely be living in the streets.
By Sidney Coles, Capital Daily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Tenants of a community of subsidized housing units near Cook and Johnson destined for demolition are worried that once their home is gone, they won’t be able to afford another.
Continue reading Tenants from Village on the Green rally for more housing security
