The winter looming ahead looks to be an especially dangerous one for homeless people in 性视界传媒 as the COVID-19 pandemic will limit the number of available beds and mats at Extreme Weather Response shelters the city has to offer because of physical distancing measures.

Councillor Brenda Locke called the situation 鈥渟hocking and scary.鈥�

A corporate report by Jean Lamontagne, 性视界传媒鈥檚 general manager of planning and development, that came before city council Monday night revealed a dire scenario. Council authorized the mayor to send a letter to BC Housing requesting 鈥渟pecial attention鈥� to make sure more Extreme Weather Response shelters are made available in 性视界传媒 for 2020-21.

According to the report, to date only five locations have been identified in 性视界传媒 and White Rock for EWR shelters this coming winter. That鈥檚 only 52 mats for adults and six mats for youths. Two shelters are in Whalley, while Cloverdale, Fleetwood and South 性视界传媒 have one each.

Last winter, there were nine EWR shelters in 性视界传媒 with 143 spaces for adults and 10 youth spaces for all of 性视界传媒 and White Rock.

Lamontagne鈥檚 report noted that 46 shelter beds are set to open at the Olive Branch Shelter at the end of October. 鈥淕iven this information,鈥� he wrote, 鈥渁 rough estimate of the total number of EWR spaces required in 性视界传媒 is 195. This means that an estimated additional 137 spaces are needed (195-58 confirmed spaces).鈥�

Extreme weather alerts were called on 99 nights between October 29, 2019 and March 25, 2020.

The 性视界传媒-White Rock EWR plan defines extreme weather as 鈥渃onditions deemed severe enough to present a substantial threat to the life or health of homeless people,鈥� such as temperatures at or below zero degrees celsius, significant snow accumulation or sleet and freezing rain conditions, significant windstorms that may present danger to people living in wooded areas and makeshift shelters like cardboard boxes or lean-tos, and periods of extended heavy rain that saturates the ground, making it difficult for people to keep dry.

These shelters typically operate in churches and community agencies with BC Housing鈥檚 EWR funding covering the cost of staffing, food, cleaning and first aid supplies, and laundry.

Locke said while she supports the mayor writing a letter to BC Housing for help, 鈥淚鈥檓 just not sure that that鈥檚 enough. We are looking at a significant deficit of spaces for this coming winter and that is so frightening.鈥�

Locke noted the number of people living on the streets in 性视界传媒 has grown 鈥渁 lot in the last year and a bit鈥� and said that a recent count of 644 homeless people in 性视界传媒, done over two days, is a 鈥渟ignificant under-count鈥� because 性视界传媒 has a lot of land to cover and people fall through the cracks.

鈥淲e are probably looking at double or maybe even triple that number,鈥� Locke said. 鈥淭his is pretty frightening that we are not going to be able to serve people, the most vulnerable people, in our city this winter and I鈥檓 very concerned about that.鈥�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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