Vancouver emergency shelters draw fire from neighbours

Last Updated: Tuesday, June 9, 2009
CBC.ca

A battle is brewing over two homeless shelters underneath the Granville Street Bridge in downtown Vancouver.

The city opened five so-called low-barrier shelters throughout the city in late 2008 with funding from the city, the province and the private sector.

The shelters are called low-barrier because they have more relaxed rules about pets, possessions, intoxication and other behaviour often banned by more traditional homeless shelters. They were billed as a temporary emergency measure to get the homeless off the streets during the winter months, but the shelters have stayed open.

Now the city is asking the provincial government for enough money to keep them running until April, 2010.

However, False Creek residents along Beach Avenue say they've never been consulted about the two shelters located at 1435 Granville St. and 1422 Howe St.

Resident John Roberts said he wants the shelters shut down because they are making the neighbourhood unsafe.

Read the rest here
See also Downtown residents says homeless shelters on Howe and Granvile streets a disaster (Vancouver Courier)
See also Condo/shelter clash could have been avoided (Vancouver Courier)