November

2021

15:35 PM

America/Los_Angeles

Weather response shelters opening for winter season

VICTORIA - People in need of a warm, safe place to stay during the cold and wet winter months will have access to additional emergency shelter spaces.

This winter, the Province is providing more than 1,900 temporary shelter spaces and nearly 360 extreme weather response shelter spaces to ensure people experiencing homelessness have a warm place to sleep and can get out of the cold and rain. These emergency shelters supplement more than 2,250 permanent year-round shelter spaces open throughout B.C.

The temporary shelters will be open every night during the season, many of them around the clock, with meals provided. Some have already opened, with more opening in November and later this season.

The extreme weather response shelters, which typically open each year from Nov. 1 until March 31, are available overnight when a community issues an extreme weather alert. This year, the Province gave non-profit groups access to funding as early as Oct. 1 to allow shelters to open in communities already experiencing extreme weather.

Communities outline what weather conditions warrant an extreme weather alert and determine the number of extreme weather spaces to activate on any night, depending on the capacity of existing shelters and the estimated need.

These emergency shelter programs are made possible through partnerships with communities and non-profit groups throughout the province to provide temporary, but immediate, places to stay for anyone who is experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

More shelters may be added throughout the winter when needed.

In addition to these shelters, BC Housing has partnered with health authorities, municipalities and other housing partners to secure more than 1,900 additional spaces in 43 communities, where people experiencing homelessness can self-isolate and recover from COVID-19.

Learn More:

To learn more about the Province's emergency shelter program, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/homelessness-services/emergency-shelter-program

To see a map of permanent and temporary shelters in B.C., visit: https://smap.bchousing.org/

Two backgrounders follow.

Contacts:

Ministry of Attorney General and Responsible for Housing
Media Relations
778 678-1572

BC Housing
Media Relations
media@bchousing.org

BACKGROUNDER 1

Temporary shelter locations

The following locations will offer temporary shelter space throughout the winter season.

More temporary shelters may be added throughout the season. Updates to this list can be found here: smap.bchousing.org

100 Mile House

555B South Cedar Ave. - 10 spaces

Abbotsford

1661 McCallum Rd. - 15 spaces
2616 Ware St. - 12 spaces
2317 McKenzie Rd. - 6 spaces
1640 Riverside Rd. - 30 spaces
1670 Riverside Rd. - 4 spaces
33264 Old Yale Rd. - 5 spaces

Burnaby

2294 Douglas Rd. - 26 spaces

Campbell River

1221 Cedar St. - 20 spaces

Chilliwack

46130 Margaret Ave. - 26 spaces
45845 Wellington Ave. - 12 spaces
46293 Yale Rd. - 48 spaces

Coquitlam

3030 Gordon Ave. - 10 spaces

Courtenay

685 Cliff Ave. - 10 spaces
632 Pidcock Ave. - 12 spaces

Cranbrook

1417 Cranbrook St. N. - 45 spaces

Duncan

602-222 Cowichan Way - 10 spaces

Fort St. James

375 Stuart Dr. E. - 12 spaces

Fort St. John

9824 99 Ave. - 26 spaces

Grand Forks

2320 78th Ave. - 15 spaces

Kamloops

181 Victoria St. W. - 20 spaces
740 Victoria St. (Memorial Arena) - 50 spaces

Kelowna

550 Doyle Ave. - 50 spaces
425 Leon Ave. - 64 spaces
1083 Richter St. - 38 spaces

Kitimat

480 City Centre - 4 spaces

Ladysmith

440 1st Ave. - 10 spaces

Langley

5787 Langley Bypass - 30 spaces

Maple Ridge

22188 Lougheed Hwy. - 30 spaces
22239 Lougheed Hwy. - 25 spaces

Merritt

2350 Voght St. - 17 spaces

Mission

32550 Logan Ave. - 6 spaces

Nanaimo

595 Townsite Rd. - 24 spaces

Penticton

352 Winnipeg St. - 42 spaces

Port Alberni

3978 8th Ave. - 20 spaces
3939 8th Ave. - 15 spaces

Port Hardy

8635 Granville St. - 10 spaces

Prince George

1151 2nd Ave. - 30 spaces
144 George St. - 10 spaces
140 Quebec St. - 15 spaces

Prince Rupert

1080 3rd Ave. W. - 35 spaces

Quesnel

146 Carson Ave. - 10 spaces

Salmon Arm

551 Trans Canada Hwy. - 21 spaces

Salt Spring Island

268 Fulford-Ganges Rd. - 17 spaces

Sechelt

5653 Wharf Ave. - 11 spaces

Sooke

2197 Otter Point Rd. - 20 spaces

Surrey

10275 City Pwy. - 48 spaces
10731 City Pwy. - 44 spaces
10776 King George Blvd. - 30 spaces
10607 King George Blvd. - 25 spaces
14716 104 Ave. - 24 spaces
10667 135A St. - 20 spaces
14716 104 Ave. - 6 spaces

Terrace

2812 Hall St. - 3 spaces
4444 Lakelse Ave. - 20 spaces

Trail

1458 Bay Ave. - 18 spaces

Vancouver

340 Alexander St. - 23 spaces
342 Alexander St. - 21 spaces
265 Hastings St. E. - 32 spaces
398 Powell St. - 10 spaces
1401 Hornby St. - 40 spaces
1648 East 1st Ave. - 40 spaces
875 Terminal Ave. - 60 spaces
1138 Burrard St. - 12 spaces
609 Helmcken St. - 20 spaces
134 East Cordova St. - 26 spaces
119 E Cordova St. - 18 spaces
1056 Comox St. - 16 spaces
1060 Howe St. - 40 spaces
15 Hastings St. W. - 59 spaces
131 Dunlevy Ave. - 16 spaces

Victoria

225 Russell St. - 60 spaces
755 Pandora Ave. - 20 spaces
2915 Douglas St. - 29 spaces
932 Balmoral Rd. - 36 spaces
1240 Yates St. - 48 spaces
1450 Elford St. - 25 spaces
535 Ellice St. - 23 spaces

West Kelowna

2545 Churchill Rd. - 15 spaces
2515 Bartley Rd. - 38 spaces

Contacts:

Ministry of Attorney General and Responsible for Housing
Media Relations
778 678-1572

BC Housing
Media Relations
media@bchousing.org

BACKGROUNDER 2

Extreme weather response shelter locations

The following locations will offer temporary shelter space when an extreme weather alert is activated.

More extreme weather response shelters may be added throughout the season. Updates to this list can be found here: smap.bchousing.org

Abbotsford

2317 McKenzie Rd. - 3 spaces
2884 Gladys Ave. - 30 spaces

Burnaby

7135 Walker Ave. - 12 spaces
7540 6th St. - 10 spaces

Courtenay

685 Cliff Ave. - 10 spaces

Delta

4960 48 Ave. - 5 spaces

Duncan

2579 Lewis St. - 8 spaces

Hope

670 Old Hope Princeton Hwy. - 6 spaces

Lillooet

76 5th Ave. - 12 spaces