Deaths of unhoused British Columbians rising significantly: BC Coroners Service

New data from the BC Coroners Service shows that the number of deaths among British Columbians experiencing homelessness continues to rise sharply.

According to the BC Coroners Service, at least 458 unhoused British Columbians died in the province in 2023.

That’s a 23% increase from the 373 deaths the year prior in 2022 and nearly three times more than the 155 who died while experiencing homelessness in 2020.

"The data speaks to the tragic reality of the struggles many face in our communities throughout BC," said Dr. Jatinder Baidwan, chief coroner.

"During the period studied, between 2016 and 2023, the deaths of 1,940 people were reported to the BC Coroners Service, identified as experiencing homelessness."

More than half of unhoused deaths reported in 2023 were people between the ages of 30 and 49, with nearly 80% of them being males.

Out of the 458 deaths in 2023, the BC Coroners Service classified 419 (91%) as accidental and 394 (86%) due to accidental unregulated drug toxicity.

For the purpose of this report, an unhoused individual experiencing homelessness was defined as:

• Unsheltered: A person living outdoors, in a make-shift shelter, a parked vehicle, a vacant home or any other structure not intended for habitation.
• Sheltered: A person staying at an emergency shelter (overnight) or who is temporarily sheltered (suspected to be for less than 30 days) by friends or family, in a short-term shelter, safe house for youth, or transition house for women and children fleeing violence.
• Persons residing in short-term shelters, safe houses, or transition houses for an unknown length of time.

You can view the entire report through this link.