Supports in place for Kelowna’s homeless as mercury drops

After a mild winter, the City of Kelowna is gearing up to help people sheltering outdoors keep warm with temperatures below zero forecast through the weekend and into next week.

With overnight low temperatures expected to hit -6 Celsius tonight, Feb. 20, and stay below freezing over the weekend and into next week the city has activated its extreme weather response.

“The city will be distributing warming supplies like toques, gloves, socks, as well as hand and foot warmers,” city communications advisor Bonnie O’Sullivan said in an emailed statement.

Frontline agencies are also going to seek people out who are sheltering outdoors and do wellness checks, and help them access shelter beds or emergency health services.

There is currently one place in the city where homeless people are supposed to shelter outdoors overnight, the Okanagan Rail Trail encampment.

People are being directed to sleep at the encampment rather than other places around town, especially since the city and the RCMP have been cracking down on “social disorder” downtown.

“Part of what we’re doing with the patrols and changing behaviour is saying that it’s not acceptable to be in an alcove, it’s not acceptable to be on the sidewalk. There’s one place in the city where you can shelter outdoors and encouraging people to go to that location which is not in your doorway or in your alcove or in your alleyway,” Kelowna RCMP Supt. Chris Goebel said at a town hall event, Jan. 27.

The city has three levels of cold response for support for homeless folks. The first level is when the forecast is below freezing, the second level is when the temperature is below -10 C and the third level is when the temperature is below -20 C.

The city doesn’t send out warming buses unless the temperature is -10 C or colder.

There are currently five shelter beds available in 24 hour shelters, according to the city.

The city has only had to activate its cold weather response five times this year, and it hasn’t had to go to level two.

The cold weather is coming a week before the annual Coldest Night of the Year walk-a-thon fundraiser by Metro Central on Feb. 28. The event helps fund Metro services for those sleeping in the cold.