Penticton city council votes to extend year-round shelter despite funding uncertainty
City council voted to extend the lease for another three years
A temporary shelter in Penticton, B.C., that supports people experiencing homelessness year-round, will be able to operate for a further three years. But questions remain as to whether the city will receive much-needed funding from the province.
During the Jan. 20 regular council meeting, city staff revealed the B.C. government does not have a funding stream for temporary year-round shelters, only temporary winter shelters and shelters geared for extreme weather response.
The funding Penticton did receive last summer came from the Heart and Hearth program, an initiative from B.C. Housing that the city is no longer part of, after it rejected a proposal to build 50 tiny homes in December.
Mayor Julius Bloomfield told CBC News that despite the uncertainty, he remains hopeful that a deal will be worked out.
“We are asking for something that is a little bit out of their normal operations, but we have done it in the past and we have a good relationship with the province, and I think they are willing to help us,” he said.
The temporary year-round shelter at 441 Dawson Ave. has 40 beds and is operated by the Penticton Overdose Prevention Society. The lease expires in April.
In the past 18 months, the shelter has helped 161 people. Seven people accessed detox services and 28 were permanently housed.
During the meeting, some councillors questioned the effectiveness of the shelter.
“It doesn’t demonstrate huge success for that model. I’m not saying that they're are not doing great work, it is just the model in and of itself is limited,” said Coun. Shannon Stewart.
But the mayor and other councillors said the shelter is doing the work that it is intended to do.
“This facility, this temporary shelter, has proven to be a success, in my opinion. I also believe that in an ideal world it wouldn’t be necessary. But we don’t live in an ideal world, we live in the real world," Bloomfield said.
"If this shelter closes on April 1, we will have 40 more people on the streets in Penticton. I believe that."
Council voted 5-1 in favour of extending the shelter's operations.
The province told CBC News in a statement that B.C. Housing will work with the provider and municipality to determine if funding may be required, and available beyond the term of the existing agreement.
“We know more needs to be done. We will continue to work to bring people indoors, so they can be safe and have access to the supports they need to bring stability to their lives, as we continue to do the work to build stronger communities for us all.”