The British Columbia government has so far failed to develop a plan to reduce homelessness, according to a report released by Auditor General John Doyle this morning.

“We found significant activity and resources being applied to homelessness issues but there is no provincial homelessness plan with clear goals and objectives,” Doyle wrote. “The absence of clear goals and objectives raises questions about whether the right breadth and intensity of strategies are being deployed.”

The government does not even have a grasp of the size of the problem, he said. “The lack of good comprehensive information about the nature and extent of homelessness in the province” makes it difficult to plan, he said.

The only figures available are from homelessness counts conducted by municipalities and regional districts that likely underestimate the problem, he said. Those counts have been rising. “The continuing increase in the number of homeless counted suggests a lack of success in managing homelessness, let alone reducing it.”

There is a good financial case to be made for better addressing homelessness, he said. “The cost of public services to a homeless person is significantly higher than to that same person being provided with appropriate housing and support services.”

He also pointed out that the rise in homelessness has largely come in good economic times. “The recent, dramatic downturn in the economy increases the likelihood of more people becoming homeless.”

Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman's announced earlier in the week that he would be the province's new homelessness czar, ultimately responsible for the problem.

The government's response included with the report commits the government to eliminating homelessness. Doyle said the government needs to set clear strategies and a time frame to make it happen.

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.