About 10 people temporarily living in shelter spaces at a former Coquitlam hotel will be moved out next month.
BC Housing said the SureStay Hotel on Brunette Avenue opened during the COVID-19 pandemic — as a short-term measure — for people experiencing homelessness.
And it’s likely the agency’s lease of the hotel won’t extend past March 31, 2024.
“BC Housing never wants to see anyone left without a safe and secure place to stay, which is why we are working with the shelter operator, Phoenix Drug and Alcohol Recovery and Education Society, to identify alternative shelter and housing options, as well as relocation supports, for the approximately 10 remaining guests,” spokesperson Tim Chamberlin told the Tri-City News on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
Besides the SureStay Hotel, a former Best Western facility, Phoenix also runs the Emergency Winter Shelter in the Tri-Cities at the Kyle Centre in Port Moody.
Meanwhile, BC Housing is working with the provincial government and other partners to address the root causes of homelessness, Chamberlin said.
“BC Housing and the Province recognize that shelters are not a long-term solution to homelessness, which is why we have more than 77,000 homes delivered or underway since 2017, including more than 1,200 in the Tri-Cities area,” he said.
“We will continue to work with the City of Coquitlam and non-profit operator partners to identify new shelter and supportive housing sites for vulnerable people in the community.”
As for the Tri-City churches that rotate the winter shelter on a monthly basis, that program through the Progressive Housing Society ends on April 15, 2024. They are:
- St. Laurence Anglican Church (825 St. Laurence St., Coquitlam)
- Eagle Ridge Bible Fellowship (1160 Lansdowne Dr., Coquitlam)
- Trinity United Church (2211 Prairie Ave., Port Coquitlam)
- Calvary Baptist Church (1636 Regan Ave., Coquitlam)
- Coquitlam Alliance Church (2601 Spuraway Ave., Coquitlam)
RainCity Housing also runs a 40-bed emergency shelter for homeless people at 3030 Gordon Ave. in Coquitlam.
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Call or text 211, or visit BC211.ca for free and confidential information on a range of services including housing; financial help; counselling, mental health and addictions programs; transportation; youth, seniors and disability assistance; employment and training; and immigration.
