Update: two recent Globe and Mail articles note homelessness in towns and rural and northern areas.
January 17, 2026: Small and remote towns across Canada are struggling with a surge in homelessness.
From that article: “Converging national crises of housing affordability, mental health and addiction have left advocates, local politicians and front-line workers in rural communities and small towns grappling with rates of homelessness that they are totally unequipped to manage. … In 2024, the most recent count, nearly 60,000 people in 74 communities across Canada were identified as experiencing homelessness on a given day – a 79-per-cent increase since the previous count, which took place between 2020 and 2022.”
January 13, 2026: Homelessness in rural, Northern Ontario surging, outpacing rest of province, report says
From that article: “There were about 12,800 homeless people in rural and northern areas, which includes communities such as Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay, compared with an estimated 85,000 in the province overall in 2025, according to the report released Tuesday by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
That’s up eight per cent from 2024 and 50 per cent since 2021. The non-profit, which represents 444 communities, found homelessness is particularly acute in northern and rural regions and among Indigenous people.”
____________________
I’ll say it again.
Homelessness and street disorder are not unique to Victoria.
Far from it. These challenges are occurring in cities and towns across BC, Canada, North America, and beyond.
Unfortunately, some people who have platforms and who know better are suggesting otherwise, and are misleading some members of the public. Such is politics in the era of the algorithm. When you hear these suggestions, please treat them as the disinformation and political rage farming that they are.
Meantime, below is a sampling of articles pulled by a quick search to illustrate the point that these challenges are not unique to Victoria, but you can easily find more articles from other cities.
For solutions, please see my many, many other posts on this topic.
Homelessness in Toronto has more than doubled since 2021, according to latest Street Needs Assessment https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2025/07/08/homelessness-in-toronto-has-more-than-doubled-since-2021-according-to-latest-street-needs-assessment/
Homelessness in Kingston region spikes to new high https://www.thewhig.com/news/local-news/homelessness-in-kingston-region-spikes-to-new-high
More than 7,000 people on London’s supportive housing waitlist, city data shows. Nearly 1,600 Londoners were actively experiencing homelessness at the end of 2024. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/more-than-7-000-people-on-london-s-supportive-housing-waitlist-city-data-shows-1.7430032
‘Profound systemic failure’: Record levels of homelessness counted in Nanaimo https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/local-news/profound-systemic-failure-record-levels-of-homelessness-counted-in-nanaimo-8147374
Metro Vancouver homeless count rises 9% in 2025 https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/07/30/vancouver-homeless-count-rises-9-in-2025/
Kelowna tent city changes make homelessness more visible downtown https://globalnews.ca/news/11324802/changes-at-kelownas-tent-city-believed-responsible-for-more-visible-homelessness-crisis-downtown/
Montreal will not agree to stop dismantling homeless encampments, despite new report https://www.ckom.com/2025/07/10/new-report-says-montreal-should-stop-dismantling-homeless-encampments/
Halifax says it is closing one of the five remaining designated homeless encampments https://www.townandcountrytoday.com/national-business/halifax-says-it-is-closing-one-of-the-five-remaining-designated-homeless-encampments-10725802
Moncton group faces ongoing challenges to address homelessness https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/new-brunswick/article/moncton-group-faces-ongoing-challenges-to-address-homelessness/
(Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John) N.B.’s major cities want in on new homelessness task force https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-major-cities-want-in-on-new-homelessness-task-force-1.7636428
With growth in homelessness last year, Saint John faced 31% increase in encampment fires https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-fire-department-encampment-fires-1.7593695
More police presence committed in area of Charlottetown homeless encampment https://www.saltwire.com/prince-edward-island/more-police-presence-committed-in-area-of-charlottetown-homeless-encampment
Red Deer shelter ‘bursting at the seams’ as homelessness grows in central Alberta city https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/red-deer-shelter-homeless-1.7549598
Homelessness in Regina has more than doubled since 2015, according to latest count CBC News Saskatchewan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqMBxUg9qKM
Number of unhoused people in Moose Jaw doubles https://globalnews.ca/news/11174166/number-of-unhoused-people-in-moose-jaw-double/
Homeless population in Prince Albert doubles as city works on services https://panow.com/2025/02/13/homeless-population-in-prince-albert-doubles-as-city-works-on-services/
“It’s not weather-dependent anymore”: Homeless outreach orgs prepare for Winnipeg winter https://globalnews.ca/news/11406766/homelessness-winnipeg-organizations-winter/
Mayor of Barrie declares state of emergency over homeless encampments https://globalnews.ca/news/11405391/barrie-ontario-state-of-emergency-encampments/
Lethbridge saw a 15% increase in homelessness from 2022 to 2024: report https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/15-per-cent-increase-in-lethbridge-homelessness-in-2024-than-2022-report/
Saskatoon faces record high levels of homelessness https://globalnews.ca/news/11199841/saskatoon-faces-record-high-levels-of-homelessness/
City [Edmonton] taskforce on homelessness calls for investment in affordable housing https://edmonton.citynews.ca/2025/03/31/city-taskforce-on-homelessness-calls-for-investment-in-affordable-housing/
Point-in-time count shows rise in homelessness in Calgary in 2024 https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/homelessness-numbers-calgary-2024
Lethbridge reports huge increase in homeless encampments https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/lethbridge/article/lethbridge-reports-huge-increase-in-homeless-encampments/
Unusual homeless encampment in Vernon draws a lot of attention https://globalnews.ca/news/11435869/unusual-homeless-encampment-vernon/
Canadian cities struggling to get past “Whac-A-Mole” solution to homeless encampments https://www.cp24.com/news/canada/2024/10/27/canadian-cities-struggling-to-get-past-whac-a-mole-solution-to-homeless-encampments/
Government of Canada announces additional agreements with municipalities on homelessness [Durham, Toronto, Peel, York, Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo, Ottawa, and Sudbury,Regina and Saskatoon] https://www.canada.ca/en/housing-infrastructure-communities/news/2025/01/government-of-canada-announces-additional-agreements-with-municipalities-on-homelessness.html
United States
Data shows homelessness rising dramatically in Alaska, but the numbers also tell a complicated story https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2025/01/12/data-shows-homelessness-rising-dramatically-in-alaska-but-the-numbers-also-tell-a-complicated-story/
More than a dozen injured in Minneapolis shootings at homeless camp and near transit station https://apnews.com/article/bf7dc01d6c27de5198a46952d12119ac
Homelessness continues to rise in Oklahoma City, new numbers show https://www.readfrontier.org/stories/homelessness-continues-to-rise-in-oklahoma-city-new-numbers-show/
Houston City Council puts 24-hour ban on lying down on sidewalks https://www.chron.com/politics/article/houston-homeless-ban-sidewalks-20772738.php
U.S. homelessness rose by record 18% in latest annual data https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-homelessness-rose-by-record-18-latest-annual-data-2024-12-27/
NYC to spend $650M on combating homelessness and mental illness https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2025-01-09/nyc-to-spend-650m-on-combating-homelessness-and-mental-illness
Number of homeless people in Nashville increases in 2025, report shows https://www.newschannel5.com/news/number-of-homeless-people-in-nashville-increases-in-2025-report-shows
Newsom calls on California cities to ban homeless encampments https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/12/newsom-california-ban-homeless-encampments
New report indicates homelessness on the rise in Colorado Springs https://www.koaa.com/news/local-news/new-report-indicates-homelessness-on-the-rise-in-colorado-springs
Affluent New Jersey city considers ordinance to fine or jail people for sleeping outside https://nypost.com/2025/04/07/us-news/affluent-new-jersey-city-considers-ordinance-that-would-fine-or-jail-homeless-people-for-sleeping-outside/
San Francisco clears encampments as debates grow over displacement vs safety https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-14/san-francisco-encampments-safety-displacement
Metro Phoenix unsheltered homeless population spiked 28% this year as shelter funding dried up https://www.kjzz.org/kjzz-news/2025-05-28/metro-phoenix-unsheltered-homeless-population-spiked-28-this-year-as-shelter-funding-dried-up
San Diego Union-Tribune — Homelessness and public safety reporting https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/story/2025-06-18/san-diego-homelessness-public-safety-encampments