Lookout Housing and Health Society has received the city’s permission to operate an emergency winter shelter in the Cliff Block Residence.
At Monday’s meeting, city council approved a temporary use permit that allows the society to provide up to 25 beds for men and women from now until April 30, 2025. The winter shelter, which would operate on 24/7, will be located in the basement of the Cliff Block Residence, which is located at the corner of Sixth and Carnarvon streets.
An Oct. 21 staff report said there are no plans to operate an emergency winter shelter beyond April 30. The report, however, stated the proposed temporary use permit (TUP) would allow the winter shelter use in the space for three years, with an option to renew for an additional three years, subject to council consideration and approval.
In October, staff told council that Lookout has fully renovated the basement area of the Cliff Block Residence to accommodate a multidisciplinary health clinic and is seeking funding for that service.
At the Nov. 4 council meeting, Coun. Daniel Fontaine put forward a motion that council approve issuance of the temporary use permit for a period of one year from the date of issuance.
“It's important that if this is going to be a temporary use that in fact it is a temporary use,” he said. “And I think from the public perspective, temporary use would not be three years or six years.”
Fontaine said council previously approved a temporary use permit that allows a nightly shelter to operate in the former Army and Navy Department Store. He said that three-year temporary use permit is scheduled to soon be renewed, which could mean that shelter could potentially operate for six years at that location.
“I would prefer this be one year, and that we put pressure on the province and advise the province that we're prepared to approve this for one year, but to encourage them to get moving on the development of the appropriate affordable housing and housing that will actually provide permanent housing for these individuals, as opposed to putting them into shelters every night,” he said. “By simply carte blanche approving this for three years, we're letting the province know that they've got three years, that there's no accelerated timeline in terms of moving on that housing.”
Because a clinic is proposed for the basement of the Cliff Block Residence, Fontaine said a one-year temporary use permit for a winter shelter shouldn’t be an issue.
At its Nov. 4 meeting, the City of New Westminster received 41 pieces of correspondence from community members related to the temporary use permit for the winter shelter in the Cliff Block Residence.
Several pieces of correspondence included in the council agenda were from downtown residents voicing concerns about issues such as safety, drug paraphernalia in public spaces, disturbances at the Cliff Block, and negative impacts that homeless people are having on businesses in the area, such as sleeping in doorways. One resident said more lights are needed near the 618 Carnarvon building that faces the Cliff Block Residence and asked the city to ensure people’s carts and personal belongings don’t block the entrance to the neighbouring parking garage.
Several residents expressed concern about the concentration of social services in the downtown and suggested they should be distributed throughout the community. Some suggested the city consider a one-year, rather than a three-year, temporary use permit.
The city also received correspondence from residents who supported the temporary use permit saying it is consistent with the city’s crises response pilot project. Others welcomed a 24/7 shelter, saying it is a “much-needed resource” for people who are unhoused.
In a 6-0 vote, council supported Fontaine’s motion. Coun. Paul Minhas recused himself from the discussion because he lives and owns a business near the Cliff Block Residence.
“I am relieved to see that we have an option for a 24/7 shelter,” said Coun. Tasha Henderson. “When I woke up this morning in the torrential rain, I was thinking to myself how awful it would be to have to send someone outside to find somewhere dry to stay for the duration of that day, someone who has nowhere else to go, and what a crummy feeling that is for staff working in those shelters, as well as the residents.”
Henderson said a 24/7 winter shelter not only gives people a place to stay (rather than being in public spaces), to keep their belongings, and to access showers and washrooms. She believes the city needs to do a better job of communicating to the community what shelters do, how they operate and what supports they offer.
“They serve to support both residents who are unhoused, but also the community at large,” she said. “The permit, in my mind, is about what's doing what's best for the community, and making sure that people stay alive in the wettest and cold months of the year. This is an effort to prevent people from dying in our streets.”
Henderson said it’s important that the city continue to advocate for 24/7 housing supports because overnight shelters are not enough. She said it is also important to note that the city does not select where shelters go, as council responds to organizations’ applications for temporary use permits or rezonings.
“While I agree absolutely that we should have supporting housing and services and options across the city in every neighbourhood, we're also constrained by the opportunities that come to us,” she said. “I heard some expression of wanting to see these spaces open in different neighbourhoods to avoid sort of a concentration in one location in the city. And I agree that we need additional housing and services across New West. Sometimes we don't have that luxury of choosing, but we do need spaces for people to be warm and dry and stay alive through the winter. So, this is what's in front of us now.”
Coun. Ruby Campbell said she has heard from business organizations expressing a need for the city to find solutions for the housing crisis and for supporting people who are sheltering overnight in parks and in the alcoves and doorways of local businesses.
“We know that there's more need for shelter long term, but this is what we can do now. I'm not prepared to avoid the opportunity, especially when we're seeing more seniors that are unhoused,” she said. “As we heard, the weather is getting worse. I think we need to act on this now and support the voices that we've heard from the business community.”
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy said he would support the one-year permit, but said the city needs to be clear earlier in the process if it’s going to put restrictions on TUPs. Having served as a director of a non-profit in the past, he said it’s important that they be able to tell funders what restrictions or conditions of service may be in place.
“Changing the conditions of service at the last minute in a report is something I have problem with, as someone who understands how seeking funding works,” he said. “I think that this organization has not caused any concern for how it operates.”
John Stark, the city’s manger of community planning, said a one-year TUP would not impact the operation of the winter shelter for this year. He said it could potentially impact the operation of a seasonal shelter next winter if the multidisciplinary health clinic does not open in the space.
“The applicant can come forward again, and council can reconsider their application,” added Jackie Teed, the city’s director of planning and development.
Two TUPS
In related news, council unanimously supported a staff recommendation to give notice that it will consider the issuance of a temporary use permit for an emergency shelter use at 502 Columbia St.
That permit would allow the Lower Mainland Purpose Society to continue operating an emergency shelter in the former Army and Navy Department Store, a service that has operated since late December 2021.
Stark said the city’s crisis response pilot project is working towards the creation of permanent supportive housing in New Westminster.
“This is really an interim measure, these two temporary use permits, to get us to that place where we have supportive housing in place. Because that's the goal – for individuals to have their own unit, kitchen and bathroom,” he said. “And with regards to this particular (Lookout) application, it's because it's winter and we're heading into that.”
According to Stark, these are the only two temporary use permits that staff will be bringing to council related to shelter uses this winter.
