The Lookout Emergency Aid Society will be offering a warm and dry shelter to homeless individuals during extreme weather conditions this winter.
New Westminster city council has approved a temporary use permit that would allow the society to operate an extreme weather response program shelter at the Cliff Block until Oct. 31, 2015. Staff noted that the program provides shelter to homeless persons during extreme weather events, which reduces the risk of illness, injury and death.
The Salvation Army had operated the program at its Sixth Street location for several years, but was unable to continue providing the program because of resource and space constraints. Lookout, which operates emergency shelter beds and transitional, supported and independent housing in New Westminster, applied to operate the extreme weather response program shelter in the basement of the Cliff Block.
Brittany Zenger, who lives across the street from the Cliff Block, expressed concern about the time that residents were given to respond to the proposed temporary use permit. She's concerned about providing the service in a residential neighbourhood.
Zenger expressed concern about the potential for noise disturbances in the mornings when people are leaving the shelter, which will operate from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. She's also concerned about having shopping carts being stored in a vacant lot that is visible to nearby residences.
Zenger said Lookout does a "wonderful job" and she has no issue living across from the Cliff Block. When purchasing a home, she said she considered the zoning usages in buildings in the area - and a temporary shelter wasn't permitted.
Zenger suggested that the city reduce the temporary use permit to one year so any issues that arise may be mitigated.
John Stark, the city's senior social planner, said the city contacted Lookout about the storage of shopping buggies in an adjacent vacant lot after area residents voiced concerns about this aspect of the application.
Karen O'Shannacery, executive director of the Lookout Emergency Aid Society, said Lookout has made alternate arrangenents and will store buggies belonging to homeless people at the Russell Residence.
Stark said the shelter would run from Nov. 1 to March 31, with openings being triggered by weather conditions.
It has a capacity to shelter 30 people - 20 men and 10 women.
New Westminster's extreme weather response plan outlines the type of conditions that are deemed severe enough to pose a substantial threat to the life and/ or health of people who are homeless.
This includes: temperatures at or below -2 C or -2 C with a wind-chill; heavy rain in combination with low temperatures (close to freezing); five or more days of rain creating conditions where it is difficult for people to keep dry; significant snow accumulations; and significant windstorms that present a risk to those living in wooded areas.
The New Westminster Downtown Residents' Association supports the plan and is convinced there will be no negative impacts on the community. "The expansion and operation of this shelter falls in line with the city's commitment to providing access to special services for those in need and resolving the issue of homelessness," wrote Jocelyn Smith, president of the association, in a letter.
