A temporary winter shelter in the Stuart Wood School gymnasium in downtown Kamloops is set to return this winter.
In a closed council meeting on May 31, Kamloops City Councillors approved a motion by Arjun Singh to provide direction to staff on temporary winter shelter spaces for people experiencing homelessness from Nov. 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.
“[The] use of the Stuart Wood gymnasium for this purpose requires further approvals from Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and the Province,” a report from Corporate Services Director, Kathy Humphrey, said.
“Pending those approvals, BC Housing will work to identify funding and an operator for each shelter location. Once confirmed, the City will work with BC Housing and the operator to provide details to neighbours about shelter operations, including direct contact information, and work with them to successfully integrate into each neighbourhood.”
Winter shelters will be operational 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, giving people experiencing homelessness shelter from the cold, daily meals, laundry and shower facilities, as well as support services, and connections to community resources and longer-term housing options.
The Stuart Wood gymnasium at 245 St. Paul Street was used as a temporary winter shelter this past winter, while the Kamloops Yacht Club had been proposed as a possible shelter if there weren’t enough spaces available for people at other temporary shelters this past winter.
The motion, which was seconded by Councillor Dale Bass, also directed staff to establish a short-term facility licence with BC Housing for a temporary winter shelter at the Kamloops Yacht Club at 1140 River Street.
“The City and BC Housing initiated early planning and identification of potential locations in response to requests from Council and residents for earlier planning to support unsheltered people experiencing homelessness,” Humphrey wrote in her report.
“Council’s direction above allows the City and BC Housing sufficient time to secure and operationalize these sites to open by November 1.”
Humphrey says these temporary winter shelter locations will be in addition to existing shelters in Kamloops, noting it is “necessary to meet the needs of the over 200 individuals identified as experiencing homelessness in Kamloops.”
