‘Shocking’: Kamloops non-profits blindsided by CMHA decision not to operate shelters

Out of the Cold Kamloops was blindsided by a shelter operator's decision not to run two emergency winter shelters this year.

The organization was prepared to dedicate three days per week to a downtown shelter, collaborating with the local Canadian Mental Health Association just as it did last year.

The mental health association backed out on Thursday, Oct. 27, sending the City, B.C. Housing and other non-profits scrambling.

"It was shocking," Renee Stein of Out of the Cold said. "We had already moved forward with our hiring and making sure policies and procedures were aligned."

Radio NL first reported CMHA's decision to back out of the winter shelter program yesterday.

Executive director Alfred Achoba said the winter shelter program is a "bandaid" fix, rather than a long-term solution for homelessness, something his organization is aiming to step away from.

"We're being used as a dumping ground," he said. "People average two years in shelter at the moment. I don't think that's fair."

The former Greyhound station and the Emerald Centre will continue to operate as planned, but the mental health association won't be taking on anymore shelters in Kamloops.

"It's not turned down in a malicious way, it's turned down because we don't have the capacity," Achoba said, adding the organization is spread too thin to staff two more facilities.

The City and B.C. Housing are rushing to find another service provider to take on the winter shelter program.

Out of the Cold may continue with their plans for a three-day per week program, but the City's social planning manager Carmin Mazzotta said it add an on-call program to the city's shelter supply.

"It's an incredibly unfortunate situation. The prior council made it clear they wanted shelters ready on Nov. 1," he said.

Mazzotta and B.C. Housing are still meeting with service providers, but he indicated the on-call program will likely also open on the coldest nights.

Achoba and the mayor-elect Reid Hamer-Jackson have an ongoing feud, stemming from Hamer-Jackson's criticisms of harm reduction programs. However, Achoba said the choice to back out of the shelter program had little to do with the new mayor. He said the association is still committed to its long-term housing programs.

It's still unclear how the winter shelters at the former Yacht Club and the Stuart Wood Elementary School will open by the Nov. 1 deadline, although Mazzotta said the buildings are ready for tenants to arrive.

— This story was corrected to at 6:12 p.m., Oct. 27, 2022, to say Mazzotta indicated the on-call shelter would be in addition to the Out of the Cold program, rather than the sole shelter.

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