Salmon Arm’s mayor has confirmed his city’s BC Housing-funded homeless shelter is closing for good at the end of the month.
Mayor Alan Harrison said the Salvation Army-operated shelter was typically seasonal, but during the pandemic had been operating year-round.
“BC Housing is looking at another operator. Salvation Army has done a fantastic job. They’ve been a very good provider,” said Harrison.
“The B.C. government would like to have harm reduction as part of the criteria for shelters so they are seeking other providers.”
The closure is expected to leave the city of more than 19,000 without emergency homeless shelter services in the short term.
While the mayor is confident a new and better-equipped shelter will open in the long term, he is concerned there will be an initial gap in services.
“The actual building that it is in now is not that good for a shelter. It’s an old barracks. So we are looking forward to having a more modern shelter: one that is much better for the clients, one that can be open 24 hours a day 365 days a year,” Harrison said.
“So I think in the long run it is actually going to be a good thing. But we are concerned in the short term that we will not have a shelter during the summer months.”
Harrison is hoping to see a new shelter space open as soon as possible as he doesn’t want the city to be without shelter services next winter.
BC Housing was unable to provide a comment on Tuesday and the local Salvation Army said no one was available for an interview on Tuesday.
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