Victoria shelters still over capacity, despite new housing

Outreach workers in Victoria say unprecedented investment in housing for the city's homeless population over the past yearhas not put a dent in the demand for emergency shelter services.

The B.C. Government has spent more than $20 million dollars on new housing options for the city's most vulnerable in 2016, inresponse to a controversial homeless camp on the lawn of the city's courthouse.

Nearly 200 supportive housing units have opened in Victoriathis year along with more transitional shelter space. Renovations at a former hotel on Douglas Street will add 50 units more by February of 2017.

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But despite the majorinvestments, homeless shelters have beenforced to turn people away again this fall, said Don McTavishwithVictoria Cool Aid Society, which operates several emergency shelters in the city.

"I was hoping our occupancy at the shelters would go down a measurable amount with all the additional resources that have been opened up," he said.

"They are all full, and we are continuing to be full, which is a little surprising, but I guess it does speak to the need out there."

McTavish said the housing investments in Victoria are a step in the right direction, but are being counteracted by rising rents and low vacancy rates.

"I don't think it's the wrong solution. I just don't think, even with everything that we have done, that it's enough."

Extreme weather help

Roughly1700 people have used a Cool Aid shelter over the past year, but housing was only found for about 10 per cent of those who needed it, he added.

There are 180 shelter beds available all year round in Victoria, and 100 more spaces open up during the colder months.

Additional beds are also added to ensure no one is turned away during extreme weather, such as the freezing temperatureshitting the south coast of B.C. this week.

"That's a critical temperature in terms of personal health and the ability to be able to stay dry," Jen Wilde, the regional coordinator for the Greater Victoria Extreme Weather Protocol.

"We do have some moist conditions that have been happening in the last little while so people are already wet, cold and damp and those low temperatures can really affect their health."

Donations of hats, gloves and coats are needed at shelters in the city, Wilde added.

Severalmore affordable housing projects are coming in the Capital region. They were included as part of a half a billion dollar announcement from the B.C. Government for morehousing across the province.

The province has also agreed to match a $30 million dollar investment by the Capital Regional District to add more affordable housing.

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