'No man left behind': Vancouver's homeless services keep an eye out for people reported missing

For homeless service providers like Couve Collective, searching for missing people is a facet of the job.

It's not uncommon for someone to walk into the downtown Vancouver nonprofit with a name and photo. When outreach workers fan out through the nearby homeless encampments on their next shift, they ask around and keep their eyes peeled.

"This work is more than housing case management. It's really about community care," said Ren Autrey, deputy director of homeless nonprofit Outsiders Inn. "No man left behind."

Coordinated effort

There are no magnifying glasses or flashing lights when homeless service providers go looking for a missing person. The search is embedded into their everyday outreach and built on trust, they said.

Outreach workers learn about missing people - homeless or not - from family members and law enforcement, but also just through word of mouth.

"It's sometimes just, 'Hey, so-and-so isn't in their usual spot and I'm worried about them. Has anyone seen them?'" Autrey said.

Outreach workers said they have an advantage when it comes to locating people because of the places they visit as part of their jobs: woodlands, riverbanks and, of course, homeless camps. But they also keep their eyes open in places they go off the clock: parks, libraries, laundromats and grocery stores. Collectively, the nonprofits help search for dozens of people each year.

"We have eyes everywhere, in some ways," said Nathalie Aguilar, coordinated outreach manager for Council for the Homeless in Vancouver. "We are constantly aware of our surroundings. ... It's just woven into our everyday life."

Outreach workers said their nonprofits constantly communicate with one another when trying to locate someone. For example, the homeless service provider Live Love Outreach's nighttime outreach team, StreetLight, works closely with the daytime teams.

"There are people that just aren't going to be visible during the day, but they'll be visible when the sun goes down," said Brian Norris, executive director of Live Love Outreach.

Aguilar said service providers meet several times a month and have frequent conversations about checking on certain people.

Without a permanent address or reliable phone, homeless people can be difficult to locate but often stay connected with each other.

"They are a really tight-knit community, and at the core center they look out for each other," said Felicia Hubach, outreach director for Couve Collective.

Maintain trust

Maintaining trust requires a delicate balance, outreach workers said. Aguilar said Council for the Homeless frequently gets inquiries from concerned relatives or friends. When outreach workers find someone, they leave it up to that person to contact the relative.

"One of the things we try to really keep is confidentiality of the client," Aguilar said. "Sometimes people don't want to reconnect to family members or friends and we want to make sure that we're being person-centered."

About a year ago, Couve Collective staff learned a 12-year-old runaway might be staying in a downtown encampment. Outreach workers located her in a tent and called law enforcement.

"It brought up a lot of conversations about being narcs. .... We really have to walk that balance as outreach workers because we want to maintain trust but we also want a safe environment," Hubach said.

While some don't want to be found, for others, it's a matter of life or death. Hubach said there have been a couple of instances when people who frequent Couve Collective stopped showing up. When they were located, they were in the midst of a medical emergency.

Hubach said some who are homeless think no one will even notice if they disappear.

"I think by not looking for them, it deepens that belief," Hubach said. "So by showing them that we care and treating them like a person is one of the most important factors. ... We know your name, we know a little bit of your routine and we will look for you."

This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.

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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 5:53 PM.