The manager of a West Kelowna shelter is speaking out about a growing homelessness problem in the city.
Sean Airth said there has been an “exponential increase” in the number of homeless people in West Kelowna.
Airth, who oversees the cold weather shelter out of Emmanuel Church, said there is need for immediate action to address the homelessness problem and related social issues.
The cold weather shelter will close this Saturday as it is only funded through the winter months.
Airth is calling for a permanent shelter and a daytime drop-in centre for the homeless.
“Businesspeople are becoming overwhelmed with homeless people occupying their spaces during the day,” he said.
Airth said helping the homeless about humanity- referencing comments from the family of a recently deceased man who used the shelter this past winter.
“The family said that we helped Sean feel like a man rather than like an animal which is how he felt he was treated a lot of the time on the street,” he said.
West Kelowna resident Shawn Vibert is homeless and said he’s forced to travel to downtown Kelowna for support services.
“I think we need more support all around and more compassion. People don’t realize we are all just people right, we need help. Who wants to be out in the cold? Who wants to be hungry?” he said.
West Kelowna’s mayor Doug Findlater said the call for a permanent shelter and drop in center is on the radar of city hall, as is a subsidized housing complex for low-income residents.
He said the municipality is in talks with BC Housing to build such a facility.
“Municipalities give land in order to create such facilities. West Kelowna inherited very little land and we haven’t acquired much more since we incorporated so that will be a challenge,” he said.
The city is also dealing with a rise in vandalism and drug use in public spaces.
Needle deposit boxes will be distributed to encourage safe disposal.
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