When the cold weather comes, the city of Vancouver says it will be better prepared.
The city says last year it was short on staff, and workers lacked the training to support people on the street.
One warming centre at Creekside Community Centre closed in January due to staff burn out, and drug paraphernalia was found both inside and outside the centre.
The city’s director of homeless services, Ethel Whitty, says it’s ready to tackle the cooler temperatures.
“What we have decided to do about that is really be vigilant in terms of cleaning, and really be vigilant in terms of cleaning before and after any programs start.”
This year, the city says a warming centre will not be open for more than five days in a row to prevent burn out, and staff will be trained to support vulnerable populations.
Warming centres will open when temperatures hit -5C.
The city says warming centres will open in priority neighbourhoods. These include the Downtown east side, the West End, Commercial Drive, and South Vancouver.
It cost about $2,300 a night to operate a centre.
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