More shelter from the cold
Almost 300 extra beds were opened last night for the homeless, as the cold weather continues across the Lower Mainland.
In Vancouver, the additional spaces are at various churches and community centres.
Surrey officials opened beds at the Urban Mission, Hyland House and the Aboriginal Centre.
Three different locations were offering mats in Langley. And there were extra mats available in the Tri-Cities, New Westminster, Maple Ridge and Richmond.
The additional shelter for the homeless came after concerns were raised about communications problems that left hundreds of people out in the cold on Monday night.
- FROM JAN. 4, 2004: Cold weather communication fails homeless
Despite the additional beds, there are still concerns about the plight of street kids.
All of the youth shelters in Greater Vancouver were all filled beyond capacity. And there are no additional emergency beds specifically for youths when temperatures plunge.
Kristal Shaubel at Vancouver's Covenant House says that means she has to refer kids to adult shelters – something she'd prefer not to do.
"Youth are definitely more vulnerable than say an adult. We'd rather take them here than send them to an adult shelter where they may be exposed to the drugs, the alcohol and the prostitution."
The weather in the Lower Mainland is expected to get colder in the next few days, with some snow flurries expected.
- RELATED: Vancouver weather