Its 60 beds will replace the 60 that were lost in late June when the previous shelter at 550 Doyle closed to make way for the UBC Okanagan downtown project. The new shelter will be operated by the Kelowna Gospel Mission, which says its opening is “highly” anticipated. “We hope it will bring some relief from the pressure we’re seeing on the streets right now,” said Mission Executive Director Carmen Rebel. “Anyone in Kelowna with their eyes open can see that we have more people who are visibly homeless living on our streets right now. So we’re looking forward to bringing 60 of them in over the next few weeks.” With winter approaching, Rempel says the biggest concern right now is cold overnight temperatures. “It’s definitely colder here,” said one resident of the tent city along the Rail Trail. “They stole my truck with my ID, my wallet and my phone, and I’m not too sure how to start again.” Kelowna’s designated outdoor camping site for homeless residents at Richter Street and Weddell Place is breaking out. The city’s director of community safety Darren Caul says when they opened the space a year and a half ago, it was intended for up to 50 people, a number that has now been far exceeded. A very conservative estimate last month put 120 people sleeping rough in Kelowna. “It’s more than double the number we had 12 and 18 months ago,” Caul said. “Every morning we have law enforcement and police here to make sure our situation doesn’t escalate into a 24/7 encampment, which can be very worrying [the] community from a public safety and health perspective.” Although the new Bay Avenue shelter won’t have beds for all of Kelowna’s homeless population, Caul is happy to see progress being made toward a more permanent solution. “I’m very proud of the work we’re doing in Kelowna with BC Housing to increase the number of beds, which is ultimately our focus, because that’s not a solution to homelessness,” he said, referring to the camping site. “These are the temporary efforts we’re making to address the symptoms and until we have these more stable long-term housing solutions.” The timeline for the opening of the Bay Avenue shelter is not yet known, but it is hoped to be in the coming weeks. The Gospel Mission is currently recruiting for shelter staff.
