With temperatures dropping, stakeholders say emergency winter shelter needed in Kelowna

With overnight temperatures dropping below freezing, and snow in the forecast, local stakeholders say the need for an emergency shelter for those experiencing homelessness in Kelowna has become critical.

Across the city, an estimated 150 people are sheltering outside, a number not seen before at this time of year.

“Super unbearable and then waking up in the morning, it’s still cold,” said Dee, who lives at the outdoor shelter site but didn’t want her last name used. “It was like -6 C or something last I checked before I went to sleep.”

“It is unprecedented,” said Stephanie Gauthier, executive director with the Central Okanagan Journey Home Society (COJHS).

“As the cost of living has increased, we have seen so many people flow into homelessness over the last couple of years, and we’re really feeling the pinch this year.”

COJHS is a not-for-profit organization working to end homelessness.

It also assists BC Housing and the City of Kelowna to get a winter shelter up and running

“We’re beyond urgent at this point in time. The situation for those of us working to address homelessness and emergency response, it feels really dire right now,” she said.

With homeless shelters filled to capacity, there are growing concerns for those being left out in the cold.

“We lost lives last winter and we’re very concerned for the well-being of people that just don’t have options right now,” she said.

As of now, there is no site secured for an emergency shelter.

0:42 Temporary shelters not operating in Kamloops

The city told Global News that it’s working closely with BC Housing to lock down a suitable place, but that ultimately it’s BC Housing which is the decision maker on a shelter site and operator.

In an email to Global News, BC Housing stated it has funding in place to open additional shelter beds in Kelowna, and that it will update the community as soon as new information becomes available.

“It’s frustrating, it’s heartbreaking,” said Gauthier. “Money is not the issue. It’s the capacity of this community to create space for people who need it.”

In addition to finding a suitable location for an emergency shelter, the labour shortage is also creating a major obstacle.

For instance, the new Bay Avenue shelter that opened several weeks ago is only operating at half capacity because of staffing shortages.

It means 30 spots inside the facility are sitting empty while people cope outside.

“The workforce pressure is really the hold back for us,” Gauthier said. “It’s not that organizations aren’t always willing to step up, but if they know they can’t get the staff, or they’re just barely managing their current operations, it’s not a space people can step into.”

COJHS is working with its partners to help mitigate the risks and impacts on those who are forced to shelter outside.

Partners will be conducting welfare checks and distributing warming supplies and connecting individuals with shelter and daytime warming locations.

2:00 RCMP constable’s death may spark changes in approach to homeless population