Squamish’s emergency shelter has found a new home.
Last month, District of Squamish council unanimously voted to allow Squamish Helping Hands Society to move the sleeping portion of its programming from its current downtown location, set up for food distribution, to a house on Wilson Crescent. The building, that was formerly used by Vancouver Coastal Health as a supportive residential facility for people with mental health challenges, required rezoning to authorize the emergency shelter in the neighbourhood.
It’s a “huge” victory for Helping Hands and the residents, the society’s executive director Maureen Mackell said.
“I think it means that we are standing out as a community that really cares about all our citizens,” she said.
The converted fire hall on Third Avenue doesn’t provide separate sleeping quarters for male and female clients. As it is used for programming during the day, mats are laid out on the concrete floor at night for people to sleep on. This new facility will not only get people off mats and into beds, but provides different areas for men and women, Mackell noted. The move will free up the former emergency shelter for day-time food and counselling initiatives.
The project hit some resistance within the Wilson Crescent neighbourhood. Some residents were concerned that the facility would draw unwanted behaviours into their area. During a public hearing in June, Wilson Crescent resident Rick King told council that the project was not a good fit in the residential neighbourhood.
Council’s green light looks beyond people’s initial fear and deals with housing solutions head-on, Mackell said.
“It really says a lot about the community,” she said.
Last fall, Helping Hands started operating the assisted living portion of its program at the Wilson Crescent building. Transitional housing is a form of time-limited and supported housing for 30 days to 24 months.
The building has 10 rooms and a manager’s sleeping quarters, kitchen, dining room, a common area and office space. Helping Hands has proposed four transitional beds, while reserving the remaining beds for its emergency shelter use. The total occupancy of the house would not exceed 15 clients per night.
On average, Helping Hands currently serves up to 11 shelter clients per night. The Wilson Crescent shelter will be open from 7 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. with no daytime drop-ins or group meals permitted at the facility.
