A new emergency shelter should be open in downtown Williams Lake by early June.
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 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.
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.
An update provided by BC Housing in January gave the new expected completion and occupancy for the shelter as May or June.
There are a number of other housing projects at different stages throughout the community, including some involving BC Housing.
Glen Arbor is a subsidized seniors housing facility which is currently partway through a 36-unit expansion which BC Housing is helping fund. The new 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.
BC Housing also said it is in the design phase for the redevelopment of Jubilee Place on 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.
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.
