A new emergency shelter could be open in downtown Williams Lake by early June, but may be as late as July.
Work on the old Elks Hall building at 98 First Avenue South is still underway, but scheduled to wrap up by the end of May.
It is the final stretch for Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the organization which will manage the new 24-hour low-barrier shelter where guests will be able to remain on site throughout the day.
“There’s currently a flurry of activity underway at Roots on First as we work hard to prepare the shelter for opening,” said Tereena Donahue, executive director for CMHA in Williams Lake.
While CMHA is scheduled to take possession of the building by May 30, they are still expecting there may be some minor delays for the facility to become fully operational.
An email from BC Housing now indicates the shelter could take until July to open to clients.
Meals will be provided and the facility will include showers, laundry services, lounge areas and limited storage for guests’ belongings.
Donahue said there will be a homeless outreach worker on site in order to help provide case management and advocacy services, helping guests access services and CMHA programs.
She said the facility will also allow for other service providers to connect with guests on site.
The shelter will offer 37 beds for those needing a safe space to sleep and will take over services for the current shelter at the Hamilton Hotel.
The Hamilton facility will be closed as a shelter once CMHA is able to shift people over to Roots on First. The current emergency shelter at the Hamilton Hotel does not allow patrons to remain at the site during the day, has been a challenging location to manage guests in and has large and sprawling grounds which has been difficult to control, resulting in many disturbances and complaints from neighbouring residences.
While BC Housing had initially hoped for the shelter to be ready to welcome guests before the past winter, construction set backs and a flood in the building pushed the project.
As part of the new shelter location approval process, the city requested BC Housing create a more secure grounds, and BC Housing said fence construction is currently underway.
“Shelters are an important first step for people transitioning out of homelessness. People staying in shelters are as diverse as the communities they’re in and can include seniors, people living with disabilities, people who have experienced trauma or poverty, people with health concerns and anyone struggling with the high cost of housing,” stated Darren Harbord with BC Housing via email.
There are a number of other housing projects at different stages throughout the community, including some involving BC Housing.
Glen Arbor Phase II at 564 Oliver Street is a subsidized seniors housing facility which is currently partway through a 36-unit expansion which BC Housing is helping fund. The new five-story building at Glen Arbor will be 20 per cent market housing and 80 per cent subsidized seniors housing and is budgeted at $15 million to build. The building is expected to be ready for residents in spring of 2026.
BC Housing also said it is in the design phase for the redevelopment of Jubilee Place at 845 Carson Drive in Williams Lake. The redevelopment plans were in the schematic stage when BC Housing provided an update to the city in January and include 40 to 50 units of supportive housing. BC Housing said they have since selected an architect through a competitive bidding process and are working with partners to prepare the application for a subdivision. They said the application is expected to be submitted to the city for consideration later this year and would need both municipal and provincial approval to move forward.
Cariboo Friendship Society also operates a 30 bed overnight shelter in Williams Lake. The facility at 99 South Third Avenue is not a low-barrier shelter and does not necessarily allow guests under the influence of alcohol or drugs to access the facility.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with some additional information provided by BC Housing, including the quote from BC Housing.
