A temporary-use permit has been approved in principle for a 30-bed emergency shelter on Montvue Avenue, despite concerns from the Abbotsford Downtown Business Association (ADBA).
The shelter, located at 2539 Montvue, is owned and operated by Archway Community Services.
It has been operating as a 10-bed extreme-weather shelter for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 winter seasons. But the three-year permit approved in principle Tuesday (Dec. 3) by council allows for a year-round 30-bed emergency shelter.
A staff report to council states that the building will also include support services such as life-skills training, counselling, and educational services, as well as connections to health-care, mental-health and substance-use services.
“Shelter guests will have access to three meals per day prepared on site and 24/7 on-site support staff,” the report states.
It says the facility will operate on a referral-only basis and will not include walk-up services.
In a letter to the city dated Oct. 10, the ADBA said it opposed the temporary-use permit, citing a “concentration of services within a five-block radius of downtown.”
The ADBA named two other shelters that exist in the downtown core at the former Red Lion Inn and on Pauline Street.
“Given this concentration, the ADBA cannot provide their support and is extremely concerned the new shelter facility will impact the downtown area due to the cumulative effect of centralized services,” the letter states.
The ADBA said some of the challenges related to the Montvue extreme-weather shelter have included trespassing, stolen property, garbage and “an encampment of an individual.”
“We cannot determine if they were shelter clients at the source of these issues; however, the timing of these issues correlates to the shelter being operational.”
The ADBA’s suggestions for mitigating potential problems include an agreed-upon response time for any issues, regular outreach services, and no walk-up service.
As part of the project, council also supported in principle a housing agreement between the city and BC Housing for the operation of the shelter.
The agreement includes that Archway form a good neighbour committee to address issues as they arise and which will meet monthly for the first four months of operation and, after that, as needed.
As well, two staff must be on site 24 hours a day, support services must be provided, camping cannot occur on the property, and guests must not disturb the peace of the neighbourhood.
Council voted unanimously in favour of supporting the temporary-use permit.
“This is part of what’s needed – part of the piece of a much bigger puzzle – but I think it’s an important component and another step forward in trying to resolve a challenging issue in our society,” said Mayor Ross Siemens.
The staff report to council indicates there are currently 40 encampments in Abbotsford and 400 unhoused individuals.
The housing agreement and temporary use permit will come back before council for final approval at a later date.
Once the temporary-use permit expires after three years, the operators can apply for one three-year extension.
