The province’s priorities for shelter funding are being questioned after the death of a homeless man on the Sunshine Coast, on a night there were no shelter beds open.
The region’s only shelter is a fall and winter Extreme Weather Emergency Shelter, which only gets money from BC Housing to open on certain nights.
Powell River Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons says after a recent meeting, he’s hopeful housing minister Rich Coleman is taking the need better shelter funding seriously.
Simons says he’s asking Coleman to meet with St. Hilda’s Church and the other community groups that run the shelter to discuss short and long term solutions.
He says dealing with homelessness is a provincial responsibility, and right now he thinks the province has been letting the community down.
Last season, the Sunshine Coast shelter was able to open most nights, thanks to community fundraising to cover the extra costs and the tragedy has prompted a Go Fund Me campaign that hit a thousand dollars within the first few hours.
