There are fewer homeless people living in the Langleys according to a preliminary report released by the 2014 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count last week (April 23).
The 24-hour regional survey carried out by 900 volunteers on March 12 shows there were 92 homeless people in Langley Township and the City of Langley, down from the 103 found by the previous count conducted in 2011, a drop of nine per cent.
There were 54 people actually living on the street in both communities, while 38 people stayed at the Salvation Army Gateway of Hope in Langley City, or had some other form of temporary indoor accommodation.
The overall numbers for the Metro Vancouver region showed homelessness rose about 4.5 per cent from 2,650 in 2011 to to 2,770 in 2014, with 65 per cent having some form of shelter.
More people were living on the street, 957 compared to 758 in 2011, an increase of 26 per cent.
“We know the count underestimates the number of people who are actually homeless,” the report states.
The count was funded by a variety of agencies, including the federal government’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy, city of Vancouver, Vancouver Foundation, Real Estate Foundation of B.C. and the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society.
A more detailed final report on the 2014 count will be released in July.
