A local pastor says that the Fraser Valley homeless community has been overlooked financially during the pandemic.

CIVL spoke with Pastor Ward Draper, executive director of 5 and 2 Ministries, a homeless advocacy group located in Abbotsford. In the first part of a two-part interview, Draper says he finds it unacceptable that during the pandemic, every other group in society received government aid and support, but the homeless community was ignored.

The homeless are some of the most vulnerable in society and the government needs to recognize its obligation to protect them. Draper said the greatest challenge facing an estimated 400 people living on the streets of Abbotsford is the desperate need for public housing.