New emergency winter shelter spaces opening in Kelowna

People in need of a warm space to sleep will have more options in Kelowna.

Kelowna’s Gospel Mission is expanding its mat program and operating a 25-bed temporary shelter at Kelowna Unitarians, located at 310 Bertram Street.

The program is expected to open in phases beginning in early January and will run through the end of March.

“Kelowna Unitarians are excited about the opportunity to support our community in this way,” said Kelowna Unitarians Minister, Danielle Webber, in a release.

“Our first principle honours the worth and dignity of every human being and having the resources to share our space with unhoused community members allows us to bring life to this principle.”

This additional temporary shelter will build off other initiatives intended to get people off the street during the winter months.

Both the Richter and Doyle shelters have been expanded to provide an additional 10 beds each, and the Cornerstone Shelter has been renovated to increase capacity by 16 beds. Metro Central will continue to operate as a drop-in centre, providing hygiene services for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

“We understand the urgent need for winter shelter in our community and the team at Kelowna’s Gospel Mission are pleased to be part of the solution,” said Carmen Rempel, Executive Director of Kelowna’s Gospel Mission.

“We are grateful to be working with our partners to ensure that everyone who needs a warm place to stay this winter has one. Establishing a well-resourced temporary shelter, with professional staffing and connection to a range of supports, is a meaningful way our organization can contribute to improving health and wellbeing for those who are most in need.”

With the addition of the Kelowna Unitarians emergency winter shelter, there will be five shelters operating in Kelowna, providing approximately 290 beds a night. Shelter guests will have access to daily meals, storage for their belongings, washrooms and amenity space. There will also be staff on site at all times to provide information to neighbours and community members who may have concerns.

“Since 2017, 318 units of supportive housing have been added in Kelowna,” says Stephanie Gauthier, Executive Director of the Central Okanagan Journey Home Society.

“But at any given time, the number of people experiencing homelessness in our community can ebb and flow, with more than 2,000 people experiencing homelessness in the course of a year. While we work on housing solutions, emergency shelter is a critical part of the continuum of supports that provides people with the opportunity to connect to housing.”