The location at 185 Royal Avenue will be used as a temporary shelter starting early next week (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

TEMPORARY HOMELESS SHELTER

‘You just can’t socially-isolate’: ASK Wellness executive director says temporary shelter badly needed to prevent COVID-19 spread

Apr 24, 2020 | 4:03 PM

KAMLOOPS — The homeless in Kamloops have had a difficult time keeping their distance during this health crisis. With limited space in emergency shelters, self-isolating is not possible.

“You just can’t socially-isolate when you have 55 people [at the Emerald Centre] living in really small quarters like that,” said ASK Wellness Executive Director Bob Hughes. “Something needed to be done, for the interest for not only the homeless population but for all of us.”

Emerald Centre has reduced capacity from 55 beds to 40, while The Mustard Seed has gone from 30 to 19 in order to space people out. It’s resulted in a shortage, prompting the City of Kamloops to open up a temporary shelter on Royal Avenue, the former site of The Branch, which only closed in February. The shelter will open early next week.

“I think it’s important to address that it’s not a re-opening of any previous program. It’s purely a response to this COVID-19 and ensuring the safety of vulnerable population,” said the city’s supervisor of social and community development Ty Helgason.

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ASK Wellness says the transmission of the coronavirus among the homeless population in Kamloops simply hasn’t happened to the extent predicted a few weeks ago. COVID-19 testing of the homeless is just beginning.

However, if beds fill up at Royal Avenue, Emerald Centre and The Mustard Seed, the city would then close the three spaces down and amalgamate them to Memorial Arena with meals served.

“Memorial, as our back-up plan, is currently still in a bit of planning,” said Helgason. “Our original anticipation was for 100 beds, but that discussion is still ongoing, so it’s not a firm number.”

Memorial Arena is available as a temporary shelter if there is overflow at the other three sites (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

ASK Wellness says the collaboration between all agencies during the pandemic, including the city and BC Housing, has been tremendous. The non-profit itself has been trying to get ahead of the COVID-19 crisis, especially for seniors and clients with respiratory issues.

“Our role has been to increase our housing stock within our motel setting,” noted Hughes. “So we’ve currently got 30 units rented. They’re made available for people that really have been in the shelter system and need to get into a place where they’re just better off.”

Hughes, however, is discouraged by the growing number of homeless people crowding the city recently from out of town. During the pandemic, Hughes says Kamloops can’t handle any more people and street outreach workers are letting newer street people know the city’s simply out of resources.