Homelessness at a Glance

More than 400 people in Kelowna are either living on the street or at a shelter
On any given night more than 14 youth (under the age of 19) are in need of shelter in Kelowna
It costs approximately 33 percent more to take care of homeless individuals repeatedly using emergency shelters, health services and the justice system than to house individuals in supportive environments
The number of meals served at the Gospel Mission has increased by 88 % over the past 10 years (53,000 in 1994 to 100,000 in 2004)
The number of bed nights at the Gospel Mission has increased by 170 % over the past 10 years (9,600 in 1994 to 26,000 in 2004)
20% of all households (8,000) in Kelowna are either living near or below the poverty level. Catastrophic events such as illness, family breakdown or job loss can often result in temporary homelessness for the working poor.
61% of homeless people in Kelowna are male, 35% are female
38% of homeless people have lived in Kelowna for more than six years
People have become homeless despite having employment in Kelowna
People often drift in and out of homelessness
20% of homeless consider themselves to be “working poor”