Over 450 homeless people died in B.C. in 2023, according to coroner

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 07, 2025 3:22 PM EST | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

The yearly decease toll of radical experiencing homelessness successful British Columbia has astir tripled successful conscionable a four-year period, according to the B.C. Coroners Service.

A caller study says astatine slightest 458 stateless radical died successful 2023, up 23 per cent from the twelvemonth before, erstwhile 373 died. The caller toll was also nearly 3 times the 155 deaths reported successful 2020.

Since 2016, 1,940 stateless radical person died successful B.C., according to main coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan.

"The information speaks to the tragic world of the struggles galore look successful our communities passim B.C.," helium said successful a statement.

Homeless deaths look to beryllium intimately related to the toxic cause crisis. 

According to the coroners service, of the 458 stateless deaths recorded successful 2023:

• 86 per cent were owed to "accidental unregulated cause toxicity."

• 91 per cent were classified arsenic "accidental."

• More than fractional were betwixt the ages of 30 and 49.

• 79 per cent were male.

The fig of deaths held mostly dependable betwixt 2016 and 2020, with an mean of 162 per year, earlier rising sharply successful 2021, according to the data.

In 2023, Fraser Health was the portion with the highest fig of deaths astatine 117, followed by Island Health with 114, Vancouver Coastal Health astatine 95, Interior Health with 86 and Northern Health with 46.

The study defines homelessness wrong a scope of situations, from idiosyncratic surviving outdoors oregon successful a make-shift structure oregon vehicle, to those staying successful exigency oregon short-term shelters, harmless homes oregon modulation houses.

The largest one-year summation was recorded by Island Health, with fatalities rising from 74 successful 2022 to 114 successful 2023.

The coroners service said the study is based connected preliminary information that could alteration arsenic caller accusation becomes available. 

CBC News requested an interrogation with Baidwan, but helium was not available.