BC Housing has asked city hall to approve its plan to fund a temporary homeless shelter at the Old Hardy View Lodge this winter.
The Lodge at 2320 78th Ave. is not currently zoned for use a shelter, but an approved Temporary Use Permit (TUP) would allow the proposed facility to operate between December 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, according to a staff memo prepared ahead of Monday’s Oct. 19’s Council meeting.
READ MORE: Grand Forks residents oppose Whispers of Hope’s new kitchen location
READ MORE: Boundary Family Services, BC Housing scrap motel housing project
Boundary Family Services (BFS) would operate the shelter for between 10 and 15 residents, the memo explained.
A letter to Council from BC Housing and BFS said the shelter would provide “a warm, safe place to live” for homeless people in Grand Forks. BFS and the Circle of Indigenous Nations Society (COINS) counted 36 people sleeping rough in the city this August. Nearly two-thirds reported having trouble finding regular meals, while more than half said they’d been homeless for more than a year, the letter explained.
Half of area homeless were older than 46. One-third were indigenous.
BFS staff “would be onsite 24/7 to support guests and manage operations. Daily meals, storage space, laundry and cleaning services would be provided onsite.”
Council will be asked to vote on BC Housing’s permit application Nov. 3.
As per the application process, The Gazette will run a city advertisement explaining the proposal in its Oct. 21st edition.
City hall is inviting written feedback from residents, according to the memo.
The Gazette will continue to update this story.
@ltritsch1
laurie.tritschler@grandforksgazette.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.