11.27°C Vancouver

Mar 7, 2025 7:04 PM - The Canadian Press

More than 450 unhoused people died in B.C. in 2023, almost tripling 2020 toll

Share On
more-than-450-unhoused-people-died-in-b-c-in-2023-almost-tripling-2020-toll
It says 91 per cent of the 2023 deaths were classified as accidental, including 86 per cent due to drug toxicity.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

New data from the BC Coroners Service says at least 458 people experiencing homelessness in the province died in 2023, with the toll almost tripling in just three years.

The service says in a news release there's been a 23 per cent increase from the 373 recorded deaths of unhoused people the year before.

It says 91 per cent of the 2023 deaths were classified as accidental, including 86 per cent due to drug toxicity.

The data show 79 per cent of those who died were male, while more than half were between the ages of 30 and 49.

Chief Coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan says the numbers speak to the "tragic reality of the struggles many face in our communities throughout B.C."

The death toll is up by 195 per cent from the 155 who died in 2020.

Baidwan says that between 2016 and 2023, 1,940 deaths among people identified as unhoused were reported to the Coroners Service.

The coroners service defines a person experiencing homelessness as someone living outdoors or in a car, or in emergency, temporary or short-term shelter.

The data was released the same day that the provincial and federal governments announced they had signed an agreement to contribute $39.9 million each over two years to help support unhoused people.

A news release from B.C.'s housing ministry on Friday said the funding will be made available in Vancouver, Abbotsford and Kamloops.

The coroners service report says 28 per cent of deaths among the unhoused in 2023 happened in winter, and 27 per cent in spring.

It says 26 per cent happened in the Fraser Health Authority, while 25 per cent occurred in the Island Health region.

Latest news

police-investigate-shots-fired-at-surrey-business
CanadaOct 29, 2025

Police probe overnight shooting that damaged Surrey business

Police in Surrey are investigating after gunfire caused property damage to a business in the city’s South Surrey area earlier this week. Surrey Police Service (SPS) and the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit (SPOSU) say the incident was reported around 11:35 a.m. on October 28. Officers were called to a business in the 15200 block of Croydon Drive, where they confirmed that the building’s exterior had been struck by bullets. Investigators believe the shooting took place sometime between 8:30 p.m. on October 27 and 8:30 a.m. the next morning. No one was inside the business at th
drug-related-offences-rise-nationally-for-first-time-in-12-years-statcan
CanadaOct 29, 2025

Drug-related offences rise nationally for first time in 12 years – StatCan

Statistics Canada says the country’s rate of police-reported drug crime has increased for the first time in more than a decade, marking a 13 per cent jump between 2023 and 2024. The new data shows the rise was driven by higher numbers of possession and trafficking charges involving cannabis, cocaine and opioids other than heroin. Despite the recent uptick, the national rate remains well below its historical peak. The 2024 figure stood at 128 incidents per 100,000 people – down 61 per cent from a high of 330 in 2011. The Northwest Territories recorded the highest rate of drug crime last yea
bc-government-calls-emergency-meeting-with-federal-ministers
BCOct 29, 2025

BC government calls emergency meeting with federal ministers

The BC government is calling an emergency meeting with federal ministers in Vancouver next week, also known as the Forestry Sector Summit, in light of the trade dispute with the US and the recent increase in tariffs on softwood, with Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar inviting federal ministers Dominique LeBlanc and Melanie Joly to attend. The BC government intends to seek financial assistance from the federal government to help the struggling forestry sector and combat the tariffs. Parmar said that forestry for us in BC is like the auto sector and the steel sector, which the government should a
IndiaOct 29, 2025

CBI books Punjab DIG HS Bhullar in fresh case for amassing disproportionate assets

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a fresh case against arrested Punjab IPS officer Harcharan Singh Bhullar for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets running into several crores, far beyond his known sources of income. The registration of this second case follows a detailed written complaint dated October 29 by CBI Inspector Sonal Mishra, who cited the recovery of massive undeclared wealth from Bhullar’s residence during searches earlier this month.
a-serious-motorcycle-crash-that-closed-highway-97c-is-prompting-a-call-for-witnesses-and-video
BCOct 29, 2025

A serious motorcycle crash that closed Highway 97C is prompting a call for witnesses and video

Police are looking for witnesses and dash-camera video to explain what led to a serious, single-vehicle motorcycle collision that shut down Highway 97C. On October 27, 2025, at 2:15 p.m., a blue Harley-Davidson with two people on board crashed on Highway 97C several kilometres north of the junction with Highway #8. The driver of the motorcycle, a 37-year-old man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. His passenger, a 39-year-old Logan Lake woman was hospitalized with life-altering and life-threatening injuries. “Alcohol and speed are being investigated as contributing fa

Related News