Street crimes have put many B.C. small businesses under stress, and some said they won’t survive the next year if conditions don’t improve.

According to a recent survey released by the Business Improvement Association of British Columbia (BIABC), more than two-thirds (67 per cent) of business owner respondents reported an increase in street disorder over the past year.

Drug and mental health-related activity, homeless encampments, broken windows and doors, theft, violence and aggression are among the activities they’ve cited the most.

Nearly one in five (19 per cent) said they may not be financially viable beyond the next year if conditions remain the same — up two percentage points from last year.

“Small to medium-sized businesses in British Columbia continue to struggle…Some of the c

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