More Vancouver shelters making the switch to 24/7 operations
Two more shelters in the Downtown Eastside will be moving to 24/7 operations soon. The Haven, with 40 beds, and the Beacon, with 60, are both run by The Salvation Army’s Vancouver Harbour Light.
Renovations to allow for full-time operation have been completed recently at the Haven. New heating, air conditioning, roof repairs, improvements to the flooring, and room partitions have transformed this very old building into a great space. Harbour Light is aiming to have it ready to go 24/7 by September 1. Renovations are about to begin at the Beacon, which is targeting November 1 for continuous operations. The shelter will be adding cubicles, four showers, and its washrooms will be reconfigured.
The 100 clients who access the shelters currently spend their daytime on the streets. "Being able to stay indoors will be a much more positive environment for them," said Wayne Oster, Executive Director, Harbour Light. "They’ll be able to meet with our counsellors and staff and we’ll be able to connect them with mental health support and refer them to detox. I’m hopeful this will help our clients get their lives together. Other shelter operators who have already gone 24/7 have told me that it’s been far more successful than they ever dreamed it could be. I’m hoping that if we look after people’s basic needs that there will be a willingness to change."