Around 60 community members took to the streets in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood on Friday to raise awareness about homelessness and the urgent need for affordable housing.
Organized by Sources, the annual Homelessness Awareness March takes place each year during Homeless Action Week. The event began outside the Sources Community Resource Centre on 72A Avenue and moved along King George Boulevard before looping back for refreshments.
“This march reminds everyone that people are still out here — sleeping on the streets, struggling to eat, and fighting to stay healthy,” said Jay Blaschuk, housing support services manager at Sources. “This crisis isn’t going away unless the community steps up together.”
Minakshi Bagai, Sources’ executive director of community services, emphasized that homelessness is rarely a choice. “There are many reasons someone becomes unhoused — and blaming them only adds to the stigma,” she said.
Recent data from the 2025 Point-in-Time Homeless Count shows the issue worsening across Metro Vancouver. Surrey recorded a slight increase, from 1,060 people in 2023 to 1,078 in 2025, while White Rock saw a 53% jump and Delta a 70% rise.
Community leaders say the most urgent challenge is the lack of affordable housing and declining support services. “Everything is more expensive — food, housing, even transportation,” said Susan Sanderson, executive director of the Realistic Success Recovery Society. “Even community spaces that once offered relief are now overcrowded.”
Organizers urged residents to donate or volunteer with local nonprofits to help sustain services facing financial strain as the crisis deepens heading into winter.
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