By Chad Klassen

Social agencies feel a temporary shelter needed until affordable units built

Apr 6, 2018 | 3:01 PM

KAMLOOPS — A week after Stuart wood shut its doors as a winter shelter, more and more people are back on the streets. 

The shelter housed 315 individuals who slept there at one point in time. 

“It’s incredible. 315 unique individuals far surpassed what we expected,” said Canadian Mental Health Association executive director Christa Mullaly. “We were so extremely low barrier. We saw folks come into that shelter that hadn’t accessed services in Kamloops from living on the streets 15, 16, 17 years. They hadn’t stepped foot into a shelter for other services over that time.”

Funding ran out on March 31, and the city shut it down. But with the colder weather persisting into April, some have wondered whether Kamloops should have another all-year round emergency shelter. 

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There are 42 beds available at Emerald Centre on West Victoria Street. Mullaly said more permanent shelter is needed until more of the affordable housing is complete. 

“We do have a plan to open more affordable housing units in the not-too-distance future. But we still got a number of months ahead of us, and I think we do need to have some temporary shelter measures in place,” said Mullaly. “It’s going to be a long year for all of Kamloops with this many people on the street.”

The question about a temporary shelter for the homeless was posed to B.C.’s Housing Minister Selina Robinson earlier this week. 

“We put together a 30-point plan just most recently about all kinds of opportunity for all kinds of housing and very proud of the face that we’ve already announced significant housing, the modular projects about 100 units,” said Robinson. 

104 modular units are being built on the North and South Shores and will be ready by the end of the year. Robinson, whose NDP government is investing $6 billion over the next decade for 114,000 affordable homes, said building homes is the answer over emergency shelters. 

“Also as part of our 30-point plan, we announced significant investments in housing that range from affordable rentals, women fleeing violence, some more First Nation housing that’s pretty significant,” she said. “I look forward to any opportunities that come forward where we can partner with the City of Kamloops to make sure there’s housing for people in this community that need it.”

For mayor Ken Christian, he would rather people not be sleeping on mats. Permanent housing, in his mind, is the solution. The city is waiting for results for the recent point in time homeless count. 

“It’s going to tell us a number of things. First of all, how many people are in need, where they came from, how they got here, and what their comorbidties are, what other things do they have that they need to deal with,” said Christian. “Mental health issues, physical health issues, obviously unemployment issues.”

Christian noted about 2,000 housing units are needed in Kamloops, and once projects like the modular units on Tranquille Road and West Victoria Street among others are complete, he said it’ll bring the numbers down to about 1,500. 

“We have the Spirit Square project on the North Shore, we have the one at St. Paul Street, we have a number of other housing projects currently in the ground and being built.”