As we get set for a prolonged cold snap that is expected to start on Sunday night, the Project Manager of Housing and Homelessness for the city of Kamloops says it is working with partners to help find beds for those less fortunate during the cold winter months.

Ty Helgason says on a colder night, if there is someone seeking refuge, the main point of contact is the Emerald Centre on West Victoria Street. “They have 55 beds available and if they were all full then the client would be directed to go up the street to The Mustard Seed. The Mustard Seed isn’t traditionally a sheltering agency, but for the winter they have really stepped up in the community and are providing 30 mats right now.” That means there are 85 overnight spaces available between the two locations.

Helgason says there were a couple of times at the tail end of 2019 where those two shelters were out of space. “Through December, out of the 30 mats they saw an average of 21 clients. So the services are well utilized, but not overwhelmed at this time. And they did see two nights at full capacity as well.”

He says one challenge can be getting information to those who need it such as what services are available and how to go about accessing them. “We discussed the people that are out on the streets and are experiencing difficult times and how to get them better connected with the services that are available and then from that we can advise street outreach workers who are really out there spreading the word on the streets.”

Helgason adds that when potential clients are in these shelters, it does provide a chance for workers to let people know about what services might be available to them. “Staff connect with them and discuss potentially what their needs are for support and if they would even be interested in a permanent housing situation. And if they did express that interest they could take the vulnerability assessment test which is the first step to getting your name on the by-name list of people experiencing homelessness in the community.”