The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce wants to find a new location for the Inn from the Cold homeless shelter.
With 30 days remaining on the lease for the shelter香蕉视频直播檚 Sutherland Avenue site, securing available space from a Kelowna landlord has become imperative.
香蕉视频直播淚f we don香蕉视频直播檛 find a new location for the shelter, come the cold winter months in December and January a lot of people are going to be in a bad position,香蕉视频直播� said Tom Dyas, the past president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce.
Dyas was referring to the needs of the shelter香蕉视频直播檚 current 45 clients.
For Jan Schulz, executive director of Inn for the Cold, she understands the hesitancy some landlords might feel about renting space to a homeless shelter, but is hopeful the 香蕉视频直播済ood neighbour protocols香蕉视频直播� it has developed can overcome any concerns.
香蕉视频直播淪ome people accuse me of being Pollyanna, but I do feel our knight in shining armour will come forward to help us out,香蕉视频直播� said Schulz.
Both Dyas and Schulz spoke at a press conference on Thursday to generate media attention to the Inn from the Cold香蕉视频直播檚 relocation plight.
Dyas said the chamber called on local commercial real estate agents to survey potential available space currently available.
What started out as 20 potential sites has since dwindled down to four香蕉视频直播攖wo being in industrial parks and the others located in east Kelowna and Glenmore.
香蕉视频直播淭he status of our conversations with those landlords is similar to conversations we香蕉视频直播檝e had with the others香蕉视频直播ot being certain how accommodating a homeless shelter will affect their neighbourhood and how their neighbours would look upon it,香蕉视频直播� Dyas said.
香蕉视频直播淲e are trying to make the case that it provides rental revenues and doesn香蕉视频直播檛 have to be a long-term situation. We can start at six months and see how it goes from there.香蕉视频直播�
The Inn from the Cold香蕉视频直播檚 location needs is a 2,500 square-foot or larger warehouse-type space with one large open room, preferably in an industrial part of the city, away from the downtown core. Minimal kitchen facilities are needed and the Inn is prepared to augment onsite washroom facilities as required.
Its good neighbour protocols include security patrols, set hours for client intake, side or rear entrance to keep street frontage clear, daily cleaning and scheduled smoke breaks in designated areas with access to garbage disposal.
Schulz also addressed some misconceptions about the people they serve, citing one example of how many view the homeless as 香蕉视频直播渄rug addicts, lazy and transients.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭here is no question that description would apply to some, but not the majority. We recently had a new board member join us and she came out to volunteer at the shelter. She was surprised to find three clients from the bank where she worked were living in the shelter,香蕉视频直播� said Schulz.
香蕉视频直播淣ot everyone is out panhandling or bottle picking. We have people who are working full-time as janitors and construction workers. Sometimes the line between being homeless or not can be very, very fine.香蕉视频直播�
Both Dyas and Schulz indicated Inn from the Cold could easily move to different sites with minimal hardship, but Dyas stressed the need for the community to realize the homeless shelter issue needs to be absorbed in many neighbourhoods on smaller accommodation levels and not just the downtown core.
He said the downtown core is evidence of what happens with centralizing homeless shelter resources, saying clients become susceptible to drug abuse and crime, and it becomes a setback for many homeless people rather than an opportunity to move forward.
香蕉视频直播淭his issue was brought forward to us about a year and a half ago by our membership and asked (the executive) to do something about it,香蕉视频直播� he explained.
香蕉视频直播淪o we have since gone through trying to communicate our concerns with all parties involved. The conversation was going, then it stopped, and now we are re-engaged again.香蕉视频直播�
Anyone who may know of possible locations options for Inn from the Cold is urged to contact Jan Schulz at jan@innfromthecold.org.
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