The City of Trail hasn’t received approval yet from the provincial government to keep a homeless shelter operating past Saturday, but the city manager says it is not in danger of closing.
When city council approved a new location for a temporary shelter on Riverside Avenue in August, it also agreed to keep the existing shelter at 1456 Bay Avenue open after its permit expires on Sept. 30. To do so required a decision from the Ministry of Housing, as by legislation the city is unable to further renew the permit.
Chief administrator Colin McClure said in an email the city has not heard from the ministry, “and it is very likely that we may not hear by Sept. 30.” However, he said they expect a decision by mid-October.
“As the city awaits the decision from the ministry the expectation is that shelter will continue to operate as it currently is,” McClure wrote.
BC Housing indicated the new shelter, to be assembled from modular units, will not be ready until sometime this winter. Council has agreed to let the new shelter operate for one year with the possibility of a one-year extension while a location for a permanent supportive housing project is sought.
