With the days and nights getting chillier, the government is adding more resources for those who need a place to stay and Prince George will benefit.
The B.C. government will be adding more than 1,400 temporary shelter spaces and over 750 extreme weather response shelters, in partnership with municipalities and non-profits in around 65 communities throughout the province.
“Temporary and extreme weather shelters are crucial to ensuring the health and safety of people living on the street and getting them out of the cold and wet weather,” Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, says in a press release. “These shelters not only have the potential to save lives — they also assist people in accessing the support and services they need to achieve housing stability.”
Prince George will have three extreme weather response shelters at the following locations:
- 1188 Sixth Ave. – 15 spaces
- 140 Quebec St. – 15 spaces
- 144 George St. – 10 spaces
The temporary shelters will be open overnight and every night and the government says many are open 24/7 and will provide meals. Many temporary shelters are open already and more will be added.
As for the extreme weather response, spaces will be available from Nov. 1 until March 31, 2019. They will open when a community has issued an extreme weather alert. Communities will decide what weather conditions warrant an alert and how many spaces will be activated on a given night, depending on the capacity of existing shelters and the estimated need.
The temporary and extreme weather spaces supplement the already 2,000 permanent, year-round shelters that are available throughout B.C., the government says in the release.
