Plans for a new homeless shelter and transition housing in the Tri-Cities continued this year, with BC Housing in December choosing a developer and operator for the facility at 3030 Gordon Ave.
The building, which is expected to be open by the late spring of 2014, will be managed by RainCity Housing and Support Society, formerly the Triage Emergency Services and Care Society, which currently runs about 500 units of temporary/transitional and long-term supportive housing at 11 developments. The Coquitlam shelter will be the 30-year-old group's first project outside of Vancouver.
The selection was hailed by Sandy Burpee, chair of the Tri-Cities Homelessness Task Group, which has been pushing for a permanent shelter for years.
But though the operational side is in place, the provincial government has yet to announce funding to build the facility. A press release in October announced Victoria is "committed" to moving the project forward but no dollars were attached.
As for the Hope for Freedom Society, which is running the cold/wet weather mat program at five Tri-City churches until March 31, 2012, spokesperson Rob Thiessen said he would be applying for additional federal funding to keep that mat program going until 3030 Gordon Ave. is ready.
Meanwhile, at the other end of Coquitlam, a housing development for single moms and their kids - being built on city land in Burquitlam - is expected to open next spring. Como Lake Gardens, a joint project with the YWCA, will be four storeys and have 30 suites for low-income families but no on-site daycare.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
