Cold temperatures straining Kamloops homeless shelters
New Life Community Kamloops says recent cold snap has increased costs for the shelter
Colder weather is straining both the cost of and the demand for services at some Kamloops shelters.
The city's homeless have struggled to find somewhere warm to sleep amid an ongoing cold snap that's seen temperatures sink below zero for several days.
No where to cut back
Both New Life Community Kamloops and the Emerald Centre have been full to capacity. The shelters have even had to extend their services to make sure no one gets turned away.
"We've been busy, full every single night without a doubt and we expect that to continue," said New Life Community Kamloops executive director Stan Dueck.
The influx of users means the cost to run the shelter has also gone up. There's more demand for simple things like coffee and socks.
"We really have nowhere that we can cut back," he said.
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This is something Christa Mullaly has seen as well. In her role as the executive director of the Kamloops branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, she oversees the Emerald Centre.
Since Nov. 1, the centre has been offering 40 beds to people looking for shelter spaces.
More people accessing Kamloops shelter beds
Now, with the extended cold snap, Mullaly says she's starting to see people show up at the shelter she's never seen before.
"The novelty of that first little bit of cold has worn off and people are truly cold and they're truly at risk being outside in this weather," she said.
"Folks who have tried to tough it out outside ... have now decided this has been too cold for too long."
Cold weather to continue next week
Right now, there seems to be no end to the increased demand.
"We keep looking towards what's it going to be next week — and it's still cold," said Mullaly.
She says the Emerald Centre won't turn away anyone looking for a safe, warm place to stay.
According to Environment Canada, the weather will stay below zero into the weekend and may even drop again later in the week.
With files from Daybreak Kamloops
To hear the full audio story, click the link: Cold temperatures causes strain on Kamloops shelter