B.C. opens emergency response shelter inside arena using pop-up pods

A Victoria arena is set to become the province's first emergency response centre using pop-up pods for people who are homeless.

Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre will house 45-beds along with supports and services to people who are living in encampments on the Pandora Avenue corridor and Topaz Park in Victoria.

"It's a good option in that we have lots of room there to ensure safe physical distancing," said Shane Simpson, minister of social development and poverty reduction. "It provides good access to hygiene, to washrooms, to showers, and the ability to bring food in."

B.C. has enacted a public safety order to move homeless people living in tent city encampments in Vancouver and Victoria during the pandemic by May 9.

Simpson says government representatives are expected to meet with all those affected prior to the deadline. Enforcement will come later.

According to the province, about 360 people have been living at the encampments and 92 of them have been moved into temporary accommodations so far which include hotels and hostels.

"We have two health crises," said Simpson, referring to COVID-19 and the persistent opioid crisis. "This is the opportunity for us to move forward and address this."

'Positive news'

Those who have been working with the homeless campers say the move is welcomed one.

"I heard from one guy who said he's going to have his ... first bath in several years and how excited he was about that," said Grant Mackenzie, director of communications for Our Place. "There definitely is ... some positive news coming out of that."

The concern though, he says, is what happens to the temporary shelter after the pandemic. He says he's yet to hear about plans for long-term housing.

Simpson is promising more permanent housing such as modular housing in future. But, he says, that will require further investment from several levels of government.

The province says the pods are quick to set up and it has plans to expand them at other emergency response centres.