British Columbia’s ombudsperson says the number of “crisis driven” complaints by those trying to access public services in the province are mounting, often leaving people without essential supports.

Jay Chalke says in his annual report that services are becoming more complex to navigate, public sector budgets are tightening and decisions are increasingly being shaped by artificial intelligence or automated decision making.

He says in a news release that people needing help with public services are increasingly turning to his office, with more than 17,500 people saying they have had difficulty “navigating unfair public services.”

Chalke says his office handled about 635 fairness or wrongdoing concerns each month, and more than one-third of the complaints were related to housing, affordab

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