The number of homeless seniors has gone up dramatically in the past five years, according to a survey by the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

Tony Prothero, 62, is a former business owner who found herself unable to pay rent after going through a divorce and cancer.
(CBC)

The GVRD statistics show the number of older homeless people went up 276 per cent between 2002 and 2005.

As of the latest GVRD homelessness report in 2005, there were 171 seniors who were living in shelters or out on the street.

A CBC News investigation also found the number of B.C. seniors seeking social housing rose 30 per cent during the same time period.

Val MacDonald of the Seniors Services Society, who has been working with homeless seniors for more than a decade, said the true number is far larger than any survey suggests because many of them are not living in shelters.
 
"They're people that typically that would not be on the street, in the Downtown Eastside. They're people who always lived in an apartment, or lived in a home, and due to circumstances beyond their control, they've become homeless, and there's couch surfing, they're living in their vehicles."

The society has set up an emergency apartment in New Westminster.

Its first client is a former realtor and business owner from the Okanagan.

Tony Prothero said she found herself homeless and unable to afford rent in Greater Vancouver after going through a divorce and two bouts with cancer.

"I spent all my RSPs. I spent everything before I ever told anybody I was on a very bad downward slide," she said.

"I certainly did not think that at 62 I would be sitting in this position. It would be my worst nightmare."