By Spencer Sterritt

New 35-bed emergency shelter opening to help Nanaimo’s homeless

Nov 28, 2018 | 1:10 PM

NANAIMO — There will soon be more places for those experiencing homelessness in Nanaimo to sleep at night.

A new 35-bed temporary shelter is expected to open on Dec. 1 in the basement of St. Peter’s Church at the corner of Fitzwilliam and Machleary St. It will open every day at 6 p.m. and close at 7 a.m. until March 31, 2019.

The shelter will be operated by the Nanaimo Women’s Centre and Nanaimo Citizen’s Advocacy and is open to all.

Centre executive director Lesley Clarke told NanaimoNewsNOW the initiative to create the shelter came together rapidly as cold, wet weather quickly approached.

“While I think we all have to work to figure out what community solutions look like, I really believe the community understands what’s at stake,” she said. “We need to make sure people are out of the bad weather.”

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The most recent homelessness count showed 325 people were considered homeless, though the number could be upwards of 400 people. It’s a sharp increase from the previous count in 2016, which registered 174 people as being visibly homeless.

The shelter is funded through BC Housing, under a slightly different model from the extreme weather shelter running until March 31 in the basement of the Unitarian Church on Townsite Rd.

Clarke said the community around St. Peter’s Church is enthusiastic about the effort coming to their area.

“People are positive, wanting to come forward and help to see this as a community issue. I think everybody approaches it from a different perspective, but nobody wants our citizens to be out in the cold over winter.”

As the project quickly moves forward, Clarke said they’re seeking donations and volunteers. Specifically, washable blankets, games and books are being sought to provide as warm and comfortable a place for Nanaimo’s homeless as possible.

Anyone interested in donating or volunteering can reach out to the Nanaimo Women’s Resources Society.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit