Starting tomorrow Kitsilano will have it’s own emergency homeless shelter – the fourth and final new HEAT facility to open this winter in Vancouver.
The new 40-bed facility will be in the old Disc Imaging location at 1642 West 4th Avenue, between Pine and Fir Streets, right next to the Mantra Condos. This is considered a low-barrier operation, meaning residents can bring pets and shopping carts with them.
The previous three HEAT (Homeless Emergency Action Team) shelters established this winter are in Mount Pleasant, Granville Street and the West End. Along with three previous HEAT shelters opened in late 2008, they provide a total of 500 temporary emergency shelter beds which will stay open until April 30th.
The Kitsilano shelter will be operated by the Motivation, Power and Achievement Society (MPA), which has provided supported housing and mental health outreach in the area for 38 years, according to a press release issued by Vancouver city hall. The 24-hour-a-day shelter will serve two meals daily and has a bed reservation system to reduce line-ups outside its doors.
