Winter shelter to offer 40 more beds for Vancouver’s homeless

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The last temporary shelter of the year in downtown Vancouver will be opening its doors tomorrow.

The winter shelter is located at 1401 Hornby street, and will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until April of 2017.

The shelter has 40 beds which make up part of the city’s promise of a total of 195 beds across six locations.

“These shelters are really an emergency response to give people an opportunity to come in during the coldest, wettest months of the year” says the City’s Celine Mauboules.

Mauboules says the emergency shelters are just one part, but the city’s ultimate goal is to look at increasing affordable housing and connect people that come in with the services they need.shelter showers

The shelter will accept couples, pets, and offer medical support to people wanting to stay. Staff are also trained to administer Naloxone to anyone who might suffer an opioid overdose.

It’s all part of a “low-barrier” approach, which particularly means people dealing with addiction issues will be offered the help they need.

“People who are using drugs, living on the street, the best way to get them to make better choices about their future is to get them firstly into shelters, give them some food, stabilize them in a warm place and then work with them to try to address some of their health issues,” explains Abi Bond, Director of Housing Policy and Projects with the City of Vancouver.

Raincity Housing’s Sean Spear says the model works, and has already seen staff making a difference at their other shelter locations.

“It’s about safety. If somebody is under the influence, we run a shelter where that is a reality for some who come in here, and it’s not going to be a barrier where someone will be out on the street” adds Spear.

Spear adds staff will not search bags or confiscate drugs from anyone staying at the shelter. Instead, they’ll try to help them through the situation and ensure they aren’t affecting others.

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