FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 13, 2026 Victoria, BC – During remarks to the Victoria Chamber of Commerce on Monday, February 10, Chief Wilson incorrectly quoted the Point-in-Time homelessness count. The most reliable and publicly verifiable data are the regional results of the 2025 Point-in-Time counts, which present an accurate comparison between Greater Victoria and Greater Vancouver. The 2025 Point-in-Time Count found that 1,749 people were experiencing homelessness across Greater Victoria, and 5,232 people were experiencing homelessness across Greater Vancouver. On a per-capita basis, this equates to:

Approximately 3.8 people experiencing homelessness per 1,000 residents in Greater Victoria, and

Approximately 1.7 people experiencing homelessness per 1,000 residents in Greater Vancouver.

Based on these figures, Greater Victoria’s per-capita homelessness rate is approximately 2.2 times higher than Greater Vancouver’s when using the populations and regional geographies applied in the 2025 Point-in-Time counts. Chief Wilson emphasized that, while Greater Victoria continues to experience a disproportionately high per-capita rate, there are signs of progress locally. “VicPD believes strongly in working collaboratively with the City of Victoria and our community partners through the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan,” said Chief Wilson. “Those coordinated efforts are positively impacting outcomes in the city, even as we continue to face a high regional proportion of homelessness. Addressing this issue requires sustained partnership across housing, health, social services, and public safety, and we remain committed to that work.”

Chief Wilson Clarifies Homelessness Data Referenced in Chamber Address

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