B.C. Premier David Eby says his government will continue to rely on emergency shelters until such time new housing projects are ready to open.

Speaking in Kamloops on Sunday, Eby said shelters give people access to resources while helping to get them out of encampments and into housing.

“Coming out of the pandemic, there are a lot of communities that are struggling with street homelessness,” he said. “People are seeing folks sleeping in parks and tents, encampments are a serious issue.”

“Part of our recent budget is to increase resources for housing. It will be some time before that housing is open and we know that we’ll have to rely on emergency shelters.”

He went so far as to say that shelters are “important part” of the province’s response when it comes to tacking the housing crisis in communities.

“Shelters provide an opportunity to get people out of the streets out of the parks, and also gives health workers a chance to assess people so that they can get into appropriate housing, “he said.

“So shelters are part of our response to get people out of encampments and into the system to connect with social workers, to connect with health workers, and then get into appropriate housing.”

Eby’s comments after the leases on a pair of emergency winter shelters in Kamloops – at Merit Place at Stuart Wood – were extended. The Stuart Wood shelter is now set to close at the end October with Merit Place now expected to now close at the end of March 2025.

He also said partnerships with local governments are needed to address the housing crisis.

“And local governments understand that but we understand as well that we need to have a partnership with local governments to deliver that housing,” Eby said.

“It is challenging for them, frankly, to see that connection between shelter space and permanent housing but there is a connection and we do need shelter space in many communities in the province in order to be able to assess people, get them indoors and get them into permanent housing.”