Lyonel Doherty
Times-Chronicle
An emergency shelter run by Desert Sun Counselling is being proposed to operate out of Oliver United Church.
On Monday, council will hear a presentation by Desert Sun Executive Director Marieze Tarr who will outline the operations.
Later in the meeting, council will review an application for a temporary use permit (for the shelter) at 511 Church Avenue.
According to Tarr, more than 50 people struggled with homelessness in Oliver last winter.
“The homeless are not all drug addicts, they are someone’s mother, father or child,” she says.
Tarr envisions the shelter (in the church basement) to operate from Nov. 1 to March 31 if a permit is approved and funding is secured from BC Housing.
Tarr says the shelter will screen applicants for eligibility – clients have to be homeless and cannot consume alcohol or drugs during their stay. She states that nobody will be coming and going from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and “no safe injection site is proposed for this property.”
There will be 10 beds for clients and three meals a day provided, with laundry services. No visitors will be allowed, she points out.
Desert Sun will provide 24/7 staffing, with two staff members on site at all times. Staff will connect clients to appropriate services for secure employment and long-term housing.
Tarr says staff will be trained in dealing with vulnerable people, first aid, medical emergencies and overdoses.
Approval of the three-year temporary use permit is being recommended by the town’s Director of Development Services Randy Houle.
He noted that a cold weather shelter is one priority in the town’s strategic plan. He added that, as of December 2019, there were an estimated 50 youth who were provisionally housed and 32 to 40 people who were homeless, living in trailers, vehicles or with strangers.
“Many of the people living in trailers or vehicles do not have access to safe winter heating,” Houle said.
In his report, the director explained the shelter will not likely open without support from BC Housing.
In addition to some renovations to the church, a metal storage container will be located at the southwest corner of the property for the storage of clients’ belongings.
Houle recommended that a fence (for privacy) be installed along the eastern half of the south property line. He also suggested a pedestrian access (for emergency purposes) be built through the existing rock wall.
Houle said the shelter is clearly needed in the community and would help address the homeless issue. He also believes the shelter will help reduce the amount of staff time dealing with housing encampments on town land.
Question….Why was the public not previously informed about this and given the opportunity to have a say. That would be the proper and above board way to do things. Is there something else going on here that the public have not been made aware of ??
Let’s talk about the Town of Oliver assuming responsibility for losses due to theft, vandalism, fire, and crime. How about also including the loss of value to the homes of local residents? Will insurance rates for the homes in the immediate vicinity be affected?
“Houle said the shelter is clearly needed in the community and would help address the homeless issue. He also believes the shelter will help reduce the amount of staff time dealing with housing encampments on town land.” Really, what are the numbers? How much is being spent on “staff time” for these issues?
How about the old Library on Station Street?