Two new emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness will soon open in Abbotsford, providing an additional 45 spaces.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon was in the community on Friday morning (May 16) at one of the new shelters at 2539 Montvue Ave.
Kahlon said a total of 30 spaces are now complete at the site, and people will start moving in next month.
That shelter is owned and run by Archway Community Services, and operated as a 10-bed extreme-weather shelter for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 winter seasons.
The province provided $2.3 million to renovate and prepare the building and $6.6 million in operating funding over the next three years.
Another location – at 1661 McCallum Rd. – is undergoing renovations to expand the existing shelter from its current 15 spaces to a total of 30.
The Sparrow Shelter – operated by Sparrow Community Care Society – is expected to be ready for occupancy this fall.
The province provided $1.5 million to renovate and prepare the building for occupancy and $4.7 million in operating funding over the next three years.
Another shelter – at 2509 Pauline St. in the former Red Lion Inns and Suites – is operated by Lookout Housing and Health Society and opened its doors for 22 new shelter spaces in early April.
It gives people who had been staying outdoors or in an encampment a safe place to stay. The Pauline Shelter will be operated separately from the 20-space Lighthouse Shelter that is on the same site.
The province provided $1.7 million in capital funding and $4.1 million in operating funding over the next three years.
“Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to stay, and by building more shelter spaces, we’re ensuring the community as a whole is stronger for everyone,” Kahlon said.
“This is another example of our work to bring people safely indoors with access to the important services they need to have full, healthy lives. Homelessness and encampments are a tough challenge, but we’re starting to make real progress in Abbotsford with the new units opening.”
Roy, who has lived experience, said shelters give people a chance to “clean their lives up” as well as opportunities such as connecting to jobs and doing their taxes.
“Shelters help people sleep better, stay clean, find opportunities to get clean (off drugs), connect with peers to help them move forward in life,” he said.
The shelters will include support services such as life-skills training, referrals to employment assistance and counselling, and physical and mental-health resources.
The buildings will have at least two staff members on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Security will include camera monitoring and a controlled single point of entry.
Since 2017, the province says it has supported more than 930 units in Abbotsford, with an with an additional 182 temporary supportive housing spaces opened or underway.
