Winter homeless shelter raises concern

SURREY (NEWS 1130) — A two-story building in Guildford will become a winter shelter for the homeless next year, but the location is raising some concern.

Tom Gill, who spent 25 years in the social services industry, was the only Surrey city councillor to vote against the pilot project.

“Immediately to the north of this location we have an elementary school, immediately to the south we have a major park, so certainly I do have huge reservations about this site.”

The site at 14716 104th Avenue sits between and RCMP office and a Superstore. It also neighbours Hjorth Road Park and lies across the street from Hjorth Road Elementary School.

“Even when we are in an instance where we are locating a liquor store, for instance, we have minimum thresholds for these kinds of institutions, so I do have some concerns, yes.”

Gill says he would like to see winter shelters set up across the city and is happy city staff members are researching locations.

Maryanne Connor, the founder of NightShift Street Ministries, says a shelter can work well in a neighbourhood with children.

“I don’t know if we’re doing our children a favour by saying that homelessness doesn’t exist in our city because it does. If we take the higher road and provide shelter for those in need, I think in the long run it’s going to benefit us.”

Connor says there may never be an ideal location for a shelter, and right now the only option for many homeless people is to sleep outside in cold, wet and snowy conditions.

“Society is judged by how we treat our weakest members and it’s a pilot project. If it doesn’t work then the decision will be made to shut its door sin 6 months, and I think we need to give it a chance.”