Press Releases
| Press Release | |
| Long-Term Solutions Needed to Address Community Concerns Related to Homelessness, Mental Illness and Addictions | January 27, 2026 |
Chilliwack, BC: On Tuesday, January 20, City Council discussed concerns about the growing unhoused population in Chilliwack and the unfair burden the related costs are placing on residents, calling on senior levels of government to implement changes that will have lasting positive impacts. Recent Point-in-Time homelessness count numbers demonstrate that Chilliwack’s unhoused population increased from 642 in 2024 to 738 people in 2025. Even though the responsibility for providing housing and health services is not within municipal jurisdiction, municipalities across BC continue to pay the price and manage the strain of a system that is failing. In 2025, the City of Chilliwack paid $5.2 million for costs related to homelessness, including additional security, bylaw enforcement, and cleanup. That number is anticipated to continue to grow each year if senior levels of government do not make any changes. The Chilliwack Community Safety Plan recognizes that homelessness, mental illness, and addictions, which affect community safety and public perceptions of safety, cannot be resolved through policing and enforcement alone. It is necessary to address the root causes of these issues, increase upstream prevention, and address challenges within the justice system. The City of Chilliwack has been advocating for these changes for a decade, yet hasn’t seen any improvement. For example, despite ongoing advocacy for access to detox and treatment beds, wait lists currently range from six weeks to over three months. People coming out of treatment without access to stable housing, are at risk for relapse, especially when they are discharged to shelters where supervised consumption is supported. “The City’s 2016 Homelessness Action Plan clearly prioritized the need for detox and recovery beds in Chilliwack, and we have made that need loud and clear to the province. Today, nearly a decade later, we still do not have any detox beds in Chilliwack and wait lists for access to beds in other communities continue to grow,” said Mayor Ken Popove. Chilliwack City Council has also been asking for an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team for years. There are 34 ACT teams in BC, and only seven of those teams are within the Fraser Health region, including some neighbouring cities. Despite continued advocacy, the provincial government continues to reject Chilliwack’s requests for an ACT team, claiming that other services in the community exist. Unfortunately, those services are not comparable, and an ACT team is urgently needed. During the meeting, Council also raised an ongoing concern about the disproportionate number of shelter beds in Chilliwack compared to other communities and called on the province to develop and implement a comprehensive, regionally equitable strategy to distribute emergency shelter beds. Ideally, long-term housing with wrap-around supports should replace emergency shelter beds. “Chilliwack is doing as much as we can to address homelessness, but we do not have the capacity for any new people to come here who are experiencing homelessness, and we need the province to fix their broken system,” said Mayor Popove. A formal letter will be sent to the provincial government, encouraging them to rethink how they address mental health, addiction, and homelessness in BC and advocating for long-term solutions. |
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