Lift Community Services will fast-track its application to BC Housing for an emergency cold weather shelter.
In an interview with Vista Radio, Housing Services Manager Julie Jenkins says they are grateful city council approved the temporary use permit Tuesday night.
“Now that we have the permit approved we can proceed with our actual funding application with BC Housing. I reached out to them today (Wednesday) and let them know that the permit has been approved and our next step is to kind of fast-track the official approval to get it open,” Jenkins said.
The community resource center on Joyce Avenue will have up to 20 cots set up on days when the temperature is at or below freezing.
Jenkins says staffing is already being arranged.
“We’ll be using a combination of our casual staff who we already have, ready to go. We’ll also be putting a call out to the community for volunteers or staff who might be interested who might be interested in coming out to an info session and helping staff it. We’ll open as soon as we can, we have cots in storage and we’re ready to go,” she said.
Jenkins doesn’t expect the full 20 cots will be used. “I don’t expect that we will have 20 people using the EWR (Extreme Weather Response Program) but you never know because people come out of the woodwork when the weather is really cold or dangerous to them.”
She says they’ve already turned away a few people a night even though the weather hasn’t been extremely cold.
The most recent homeless count for qathet region shows at least 126 people are homeless.
As for security concerns around the facility, Jenkins says they are “not opposed to security” on site. After speaking with BC Housing, “it’s clear that they’re (concerns) not related to the extreme weather response shelter which is only going to open a handful of times between now and March,” but rather the existing shelter.
She says a meeting is planned with Lift Community Services, BC Housing, the city and RCMP at the table to talk security. “We’re looking forward to having that meeting.”
