A temporary 24/7 winter shelter is being proposed in downtown New Westminster.
At its Oct. 21 meeting, council provided notice that it will consider the issuance of a temporary use permit (TUP) for an emergency winter shelter in the Cliff Block Residence, which is located at the corner of Sixth and Clarkson streets. The city will also waive the $1,120,30 application fee for the permit.
Lookout Housing and Health Society hopes to operate an emergency winter shelter on the lower floor of the Cliff Block Residence, but a temporary use permit is needed because a shelter is not permitted under the site’s current zoning. The proposed shelter would provide up to 25 beds for men and women; it would operate on a 24/7 basis between Nov. 1 and April 30.
“At this time, there is no plan to operate an emergency winter shelter use beyond this timeframe,” said a staff report. “The proposed emergency winter shelter use would decrease the potential for death, illness and injury for the unhoused, particularly during extreme weather events, and reduce demand on the nightly shelter, which is facing capacity issues.”
The report said the winter shelter would also reduce “externalities” related homelessness. This includes overnight sheltering in parks and business alcoves and doorways, discarded belongings, open burning to keep warm or to cook, and the presence of human waste in both public realm and private spaces.
“I'm very supportive of this temporary use permit,” said Coun. Nadine Nakagawa. “We need to not have people freezing to death on the streets of New Westminster.”
Nakagawa said she’s spoken to some businesses in that neighbourhood, and they've shared that the entrance to the facility has resulted in “a bit of friction” with people exiting and entering the building. She questioned if the city or BC Housing (which is the proponent of this shelter) could work with the local businesses to reduce any issues at the entrance to that facility.
John Stark, the city’s manager of community planning, said the entrance to the basement of the Cliff Block used to be via Clarkson Street, but it required people to use a staircase. People now access the space through a fully-accessible entrance on Sixth Street and access the basement by an elevator.
“That was one of the issues before – around accessibility with individuals’ mobility limitations,” he said. “But we will work with BC Housing to ensure that there are no issues.”
Because this would be a 24/7 shelter, Stark said people will not be lining up to get into the shelter when it opens, which is something that has been an issue for some businesses.
“It will be operating between Nov. 1 and April 30,” he said. “So, it is a seasonal shelter, and likely for just the year, because there is a multidisciplinary health clinic which is planned for that space.”
3-year TUP proposed
According to the staff report, the proposed temporary use permit would allow this use to operate for three years, with an option to renew for an additional three years, subject to council consideration and approval.
Coun. Daniel Fontaine expressed concerns about how temporary the facility would end up being, citing the ongoing use of the former Army and Navy Department Store as a nightly shelter.
In November 2021, council approved a temporary use permit that allowed the Purpose Society to operate a nightly shelter at 502 Columbia St. for three years, with an option to renew for three years.
“The other shelter at the old Army and Navy building received a temporary use permit, which I'm assuming is going to come back to come back to council soon for an extension. But that was three years ago, and it looks like it will likely be extended again for another three years; so, six years,” Fontaine said. “So, it kind of doesn't sound too temporary.”
Stark said Lookout Housing and Health Society recently fully renovated the basement area of the Cliff Block Residence to accommodate a multidisciplinary health clinic. The society is seeking funding for that service.
“Likely that funding would not be approved until spring or summer,” he said. “So, it does provide an opportunity for an emergency winter shelter in the interim. If that they do not receive funding with regards to the health clinic, they will look at a longer-term use, and not a seasonal use, and they have ideas of how they can fill that space. But everything that's been communicated (to us) is that it is a temporary use, likely for one year.”
Stark said the openings of extreme weather response shelters are triggered by temperatures in the winter. He said this winter shelter would provide additional capacity and these 25 beds “will make a difference” in the need to activate the extreme weather response shelter in the health contact centre on Begbie Street this winter.
Because a “seasonal use” of the space in the Cliff Block Residence is being proposed, Stark said the city would not look at forming a community advisory committee or developing a good neighbour agreement as part of this TUP.
“We will work with Lookout and through BC Housing,” he explained. “BC Housing is going to put some measures in place to ensure that the concerns of businesses and residents in the area are being addressed.”
Instead of approving a three-year temporary use permit, Fontaine said he’d prefer the city consider a one-year temporary permit. If Lookout wants to continue using the space as a winter shelter in subsequent years, he said it could apply for another permit.
Fontaine put forward a motion that council consider issuance of a temporary use permit be for a period of up to one year. The motion, however, failed to get a seconder at Monday’s meeting so it was not discussed. (Fontaine’s fellow New West Progressives’ council colleague, Coun. Paul Minhas, was not part of the discussion; he had recused himself from the discussion about this application because he lives nearby and owns a business in the area.)
In a 5-1 vote, council supported the motion to give notice it would consider issuance of a temporary use permit for the winter shelter at 28, 32 and 34 Sixth St. and 606 Clarkson St.
Fontaine was the lone council member to oppose the application, saying he would have supported it if there had been a one-year limit on the temporary use permit.
“I am nervous about concentrating too many of these social services all within a certain block or a couple of blocks of the downtown core,” he said. “But a one-year permit, that temporary permit, makes sense to me.”
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy questioned what council could expect in terms of updates about the length of time the shelter would be operating in the space and any issues or concerns that arise while the TUP is in effect.
If any concerns are raised, Stark said staff would contact Lookout, which will be operating the facility, or BC Housing, which is funding the facility.
“BC Housing does hold the funding, and if they saw that the operator wasn't abiding by their contractual agreements, they could actually terminate the contract,” he said. “So, there is an onus on the operator to be a good neighbour in that regard. But we do work with all faith-based and non-profits and try to address any concerns that arise.”
