Tia Bannerman is one of many Surrey residents who are homeless. Over the past winter she’s had to rely on homeless shelters to keep warm, a place where she’s felt embraced and welcomed.
“Everyone looks out for each other here,” Bannerman said while visiting the Surrey Urban Mission Society shelter at King George and 108th Avenue, known as “SUMS Place”.
But shelters in cities like Surrey and Chilliwack are worried how they’re going to cope next winter after struggling to keep up with demand during some of the coldest days this past winter.
Jack O'Halloran, the CEO of SUMS, said his shelters turn away visitors nightly due to the lack of beds.
“We're always full,” said O’Halloran. “365 days a year, we barely have any empty spaces.”
SUMS runs four permanent shelters in Surrey, which include 40 to 45 beds at each location, meal and laundry services and overdose prevention resources. They also run a temporary winter shelter, which contains 16 beds and is open from October to March.
O’Halloran said his shelters can’t keep up with the demand without more funding, especially for more intense programs to keep the community sheltered during extreme weather conditions like snow.
Bannerman has been a guest at SUMS Place as well as other shelters in Surrey. She’s been staying at SUMS Place since October.
“Now that I’m [at SUMS Place] I wouldn’t want to be at any other shelter. You feel at home here,” she said.
If shelters like SUMS Place want to keep supporting people like Tia, they’ll need more help.
Because the shelters are operated primarily based on volunteers and donations, finding funding can be difficult, said O’Halloran.
SUMS relies on a combination of government funding and donations to keep their shelters open.
“We really urge people to come out and help,” he said.
SUMS has kept most of its resources open, but some programs have been cut.
SUMS’ community meal program in Whalley ended on March 31 because of insufficient funding.
While cold-weather shelters are the biggest concern, O’Halloran said programs to help people keep cool during the summer have also been cut because of the lack of funding.
In Chilliwack, Mayor Ken Popove said his government is still trying to improve resources for those without homes, despite every city not receiving the same provincial funding.
Chilliwack allocated around $38,000 to expand Extreme Weather Response resources to provide resources to shelters such as sleeping mats and blankets from Jan. 1 to March 31 this year.
They also added $6,000 to local agencies for winter supplies such as hand warmers, but people are still seen on the street during the night.
Popove said he wishes supportive housing units were spread out in several cities instead of having them concentrated in just a few municipalities. He said Chilliwack is comparable with Vancouver, receiving some of the most resources, but he knows it isn’t the same for other cities.
“I've been pushing the [Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs] to make it more fair so there’s more places for these folks to go,” said Popove.
Since 2019, BC Housing has set up initiatives to shelter the homeless population, but more needs to be done when it comes to temporary spaces, said Popove.
“We need to protect the most vulnerable of our community,” he said.
The Fraser Valley Regional District Homeless Count said 413 people were homeless in Chilliwack in 2023, an increase from 306 in 2020.
The Homeless Count in Greater Vancouver said 1,060 people were homeless in Surrey in 2023, compared to 644 in 2020.
Behind the scenes
Homeless shelters are calling for help from the public
Many shelters, like Surrey Urban Mission Society (SUMS), rely on volunteers to operate during times of need.
Surrey Urban Mission runs initiatives, such as food drives, all led by volunteers. Volunteering ranges from helping with recreational activities at the shelter to food and clothing donations.
“We have over 200 volunteers (from) schools to churches … we have some amazing volunteers,” said Jack O’Halloran, the CEO of SUMS.
SUMS, which operates four shelters in the Whalley area, receives funding from community sponsors, but they want neighbourhood volunteers to help with everyday activities, like handing out meals.
Because funding also comes from the government, O’Halloran said help from the community is important to help run initiatives led strictly by volunteers.
“We really urge people to come forward [to help],” said O’Halloran.
The Homeless Count found 759 people experiencing homelessness in Surrey used shelters in 2023.
For more information about volunteer opportunities at SUMS, visit sumsplace.ca/volunteer or contact volunteer.admin@sumsplace.ca.
This story was written by a student in Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Journalism program as part of a partnership between KPU and Black Press Media.
