BC Housing has had a Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) since 2014 and expanded in 2017. It has some fatal flaws in my view.

Homeless in Metro Vancouver alone has gone from 2,777 people in 2014 to 4,821 in 2023. Clearly this program isn't working as designed. At least 2,000 more people have become homeless in the decade the program has been running. There is a 32% increase in homelessness since 2020 alone.

BC Housing contracts with Non-profit organizations to distribute rental supplements with the goal of preventing someone from becoming homeless.

Under the contracts each organization has between 3 and 20 supplements. Each client individual each month can only receive one supplement at a maximum of $450 per person. In 2022 according to government documents prepared for the Minister of Housing the average supplement was below the maximum at $320. In 2022 or 2021 it's unclear which year the documents refer to, only about 1,700 people got the supplement. I'd love to know why it wasn't higher.

Anyone needing help after all supplements in a given month are handed out is out of luck. I highly doubt if $450 is enough to prevent someone facing homelessness avoid that fate given rental prices. The eligibility criteria is extremely narrow. Becoming homeless doesn't discriminate but this program does in my view.

As a society we can and will be judged by how we care for the least fortunate in our communities. So far we aren't doing very well.

I welcome discussion.

https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/homelessness-services/homeless-prevention-program