FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. -- Fort St. John has seen the homeless rate continuously get worse.

In 2018, there were 61 people counted as being homeless. In a two-year span, that number shot up by 25%.

However, the Women’s Resource Society believes they didn't count everyone.

“We know there’s more people than that, that just might not have made it into the count,” says Lisa Jewell, FSJ Women’s Society.

In 2020, the Women’s Resource Society conducted a survey showing over 80% of those on the street are male and over half are indigenous.

At the moment, Fort St. John has only one shelter. There are 24 beds at the Northern Centre of Hope.

As the winter rolls in, it’s filling up.

“We have people sleeping outside, we do our best to make sure they are fed with something warm, we pour some hot noodles down their throats, give em a hug and put some gloves on their fingers, wrap them in blankets and hope for the best,” says Jewell.

So why is Northern B.C. seeing such a high number of homeless, for a city the size of Fort St. John?

Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing says it has to do with the housing market.

”Especially in the north, we saw a lot of people from different communities deciding to relocate to the north because they were able to work remotely in houses that used to be rental, but houses were sold, and people were evicted. This put a lot of pressure on the rental market that was already under a lot of pressure and we saw an increase in homelessness,” says David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing.

Thursday the provincial government provided an additional 26 temporary beds. They will be operated by Northern Centre of Hope.

That means there will be a total of 50 beds throughout the winter.

It’s a quick fix as the province works on a long-term solution.

“We have to provide supports to people who are outside right now who are facing different kinds of pressure,” says Eby.

On top of that, the Salvation Army started construction on a four-storey building intended to house up to 42 people. The supportive housing complex is meant to help those struggling get back on their feet and give them a sense of independence. The building gives those access to office space, laundry room, dining room and kitchen.

The long-term support that Fort St. John is in desperate need of, is expected to be open by spring.

“The programs right now are short-termed, temporary, just meant to be able to provide a space, some food and support for people as they transition to something else. Now we are going to be able to host that ‘something else’,” says Jared Braun, Executive Director at Fort St. John Salvation Army.

But for now, the Northern Centre will just have to get by hoping they can help anyone who needs it.

“If someone is hungry, if somebody needs a bed, we’re able to support them right now, right here, today,” says Braun.