Sandy Burpee's smile was as wide as the hat brim keeping the rain off his face when asked about a homeless shelter and transition housing now under construction in Coquitlam.
It's been more than 10 years since the issue of homelessness topped the community agenda and seeing excavators digging at the site and construction fencing in place for the new facility at 3030 Gordon Ave. makes the usually reserved affordable housing advocate almost gleeful.
"It's exciting, yes," acknowledged Burpee, of the Tri-Cities Homelessness and Housing Task Group, as he sat in a car for an interview while seeking refuge from the downpour.
"There is still great need out there," he said, leaving unsaid the obvious - that even now there are dozens of homeless people in the Tri-Cities waiting out the same downpour but in less than hospitable circumstances.
Architect's rendering of 3030 Gordon Avenue.
Even with the bridge shelter, which offers three square meals and a mat to sleep on for up to 30 people a night in local churches for six months a year, there is no place to go for people who are homeless once they are bused out of the facility, situated temporarily from now until Dec. 31 at St. Andrew's United Church in Port Moody, where it will stay until its relocation to a church in Coquitlam.
Most of the homeless who spend the night at the PoMo church will likely be bused to an undisclosed location in Port Coquitlam, where they will stay until the evening, when it's time to queue up for the bus, operated by the Hope for Freedom Outreach Society, that supports local homeless and runs the temporary bridge shelter.
The bridge shelter has been extraordinarily successful in whittling down homelessness numbers from a high of about 200 over seven years ago to about 65 today, thanks to HFFS success rate in helping people find more permanent shelter.
But for some reason, more homeless people are appearing in the area these days, and many are using the bridge shelter, which has been running near capacity of late.
"The need has become more apparent this fall," said Burpee.
When it opens, the $13-million facility will provide services, including meals, counselling, room for pets and shopping carts, and other supports for shelter users as well as homes for longer stays, and people won't have to leave the building after breakfast because it will be staffed for 24 hours.
"It has been a long time coming," said Burpee, adding with his trademark optimism, "I've always had faith that it would be built."
