Extreme Weather Shelter Activated In Campbell River

The City of Campbell River, Strathcona Regional District and Campbell River Coalition to End Homelessness, activated an Extreme Weather Shelter at the Campbell River Community Centre.

The shelter opened at 8pm last night and will be active until 8am, to make sure the most vulnerable had a warm place to stay overnight.

The extreme weather shelter was staffed with professionals from the Coalition to End Homelessness - with funding provided by the Province through Emergency Management BC.

Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl says the shelter could be the difference between life and death for people experiencing homelessness or living outdoors during extreme weather.

Throughout winter, groups with private Community Centre bookings will be contacted by the City if the Extreme Weather Shelter will affect their programming.
In the meantime, the province is out with some numbers surrounding homelessness as winter settles in.

So far this season, the Province says that through BC Housing, it has funded approximately 2,080 temporary winter shelter spaces and more than 480 extreme weather response (EWR) shelters.

Most of the temporary spaces are open and the remainder will open in the coming weeks.

BC Housing will continue to work with providers and municipalities to open additional shelter spaces in communities where there is need.

With the new spaces, more than 4,910 shelter spaces are open in 50 communities throughout the province, including permanent, temporary and EWR shelters. It is expected that more EWR spaces will open as additional locations are identified by communities.

While the government says it has invested in thousands of shelter spaces and new supportive homes, there is an urgent need for more permanent housing spaces, and adds it is investing $633 million in new initiatives over three years, aimed at helping to prevent and reduce chronic homelessness in the province.