HEAT Shelters still in demand despite summer weather

Vancouver’s five Homeless Emergency Action Team (HEAT) shelters continue to be filled to capacity. From April 1st to June 7th, all five shelters were at capacity, with close to 450 people coming in each night from off the street. Roughly 935 people were turned away during the nine-week period.

The fact that the HEAT shelters are still full despite the warm weather proves just how much demand there is for safe, secure shelter in our city,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “It’s often been assumed that people don’t use shelters as much during the spring and summer, but the recent stats show that we have more people on our streets than the HEAT shelters can accommodate.”

The provincial funding for all five HEAT shelters expires at the end of June and Vancouver is aiming to create 550 units of housing using a combination of modular housing, conversions, and leases. The City will provide $13 million in capital improvements, and is asking the Province to contribute $6 million a year in operating costs to fund this interim housing.