Shelter forced to turn away homeless

Twenty-seven people were turned away from a downtown Vancouver shelter one night this week, but the B.C. government won't work with the city to open more, the mayor says.

Mayor Gregor Robertson said at least 160 people won't have beds as winter approaches because the province has refused to provide operating funds for four shelters the city has ready to open. The city says existing shelters are already at capacity.

"It's just deplorable that the B.C. government isn't responding more proactively on this and that we end up in this crisis yet again," he said.

'People were pleading to come inside because it was cold out.' —Jason Watt, First United Church shelter shift manager

On Wednesday, nearly 270 people sought shelter at the First United Church at the intersection of Gore Avenue and Hastings Street in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

The shelter was full and twenty-seven people were turned away because of fire safety bylaws.

Ric Matthews, the pastor at First United Church, said it was difficult night.

"Twenty-seven people who were met and face-to-face were told that despite the fact that we know you, and care about you and relate to you and understand that you have no other place to go...you cannot come into this building. You are out on the streets," Matthews said.

Jason Watt, a shift manager at First United Church, said that left people angry and scared.

"It was very emotional. There was a lot of swearing, there was a lot of... I mean I had my life threatened, I got spit on," Watt said.

"People were pleading to come inside because it was cold out. I couldn't even let one woman in to use the washroom."

Limits to be enforced

Vancouver Fire Chief John McKearney said the shelter has an occupancy limit of 240, and it needs to be adhered to.

"I will be sending staff on a regular basis to verify the occupany load limit, and I will have staff remain there until they become compliant in order to ensure safety," McKearney said.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said the city has the buildings to open more shelters, but Victoria has to provide the funding to operate them. He said Minister of Housing Rich Coleman is refusing to provide the money because he thinks there is available shelter space.

"The minister has said repeatedly over the past couple of months he was not going to fund the four winter shelters this winter. He felt there was enough capacity in the system. Now we are seeing that is not the case," Robertson said.

Housing Minister responds

Rich Coleman said the province has created hundreds of permanent homes and more shelters are not needed at this time.

"We've had a plan that when we move to more permanent housing, we don't need as much shelter space. And we backstopped it already this winter with an additional 70-plus beds on top of all the emergency shelter space that we have when we open in severe weather," he said.

Coleman questioned why the city — through the Fire Department — chose to send 27 people back to the street on Wednesday by enforcing a capacity limit.

"I don't know if it's just a political ploy on their part to think that they can pressure us. I think it would be completely disingenuous and inhumane to take that approach...because they want to make a point to somebody."

Coleman said part of the problem is lax management at some city run shelters, allowing beds to be occupied by people who already have housing.