For three years, Riley Johnson says he has struggled with homelessness and complex mental health challenges — calling every resource he could find to try to access support.

But after years of searching for help in his hometown of Victoria, B.C., Johnson, 31, feels no closer to stability than he did after first finding himself homeless in the wake of a job loss and breakup in 2021.

"It seems like once you don't have housing, then there's just nothing that anybody can do for you," said Johnson, who has been met with long wait lists and few answers when seeking help from government and charitable resources across the city.

B.C. Housing's list of people in B.C. waiting for subsidized housing has more than 34,000 applicants, according to the most recent data from June. Supportive housing, which provides additional support for people struggling with mental health and addictions, has more than 8,000 applicants waiting.