A temporary cold-weather shelter is slated to open later this month in Powell River. The space will be equipped to house up to 20 people, and unlike the previous emergency shelter, this one will be open seven days a week until March 31. It is funded through BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
"These shelters not only have the potential to save lives, they also assist people in accessing the support and services they need to achieve housing stability,” stated municipal affairs and housing minister Selina Robinson in a media release.
The shelter will be run by Powell River Employment Program Society (PREP) and located in the Community Resource Centre at 4752 Joyce Avenue. The society learned it had received funding for the shelter last week, and aims to have it open by November 15.
“We’re working fast to get it open,” said PREP executive director Stuart Clark. “We have interviews early next weekfor staff, we’re finalizing getting mats, blankets and equipment, and need the fire department and city hall to confirm they’re okay with everything.”
For the past two years an emergency cold-weather shelter was run out of The Salvation Army assisted by various community organizations including BC Ambulance Service and School District 47. There was a six-condition activation protocol to open it, which included temperatures near zero with rainfall that made staying dry a challenge, sleet or freezing rain, snow accumulation, sustained high winds and temperatures below -2 degrees Celsius.
This presented challenges in alerting people who may have needed to use the shelter, said Clark.
“That was the downfall of it,” he added. “It’s difficult to disseminate information and for people who are in a situation of being homeless to know if it is open or not.”
Funding for the new shelter includes hiring an outreach worker, which will hopefully improve communication.
“There’ll be shelter workers but we’ll also have an outreach worker and that person’s job will be to get out there and make sure people are able to get to the shelter,” said Clark.
Current estimates put the homeless population in Powell River at around 50 people, according to Clark; this includes 15 to 20 who likely have nowhere to live and another 30 people in precarious housing situations.
“They’re couchsurfing, living in overcrowded units,” he added. “That group was harder to estimate.”
Earlier this year City of Powell River, in partnership with Building BC: Rapid Response to Homelessness Program, announced a 40-unit supportive housing facility to be located at the intersection of Joyce and Harvie avenues. PREP Society and Life Cycle Housing Society will manage the homes.
Clark said he is optimistic this housing will eliminate the need for this shelter.
“We believe the people who will be using the shelter this winter will be housed in a supportive housing facility by next winter,” he added. “We won’t need to open it again next winter, we hope.”
