St. James to open 26 women-only shelter beds on Downtown Eastside
Vancouver – St. James Community Service Society is opening 26 interim women-only emergency shelter beds at 329 Powell Street beginning the week of Nov. 28, 2011.
Funded by the Province of BC, the new low-barrier beds will provide additional safe, secure space for women in the Downtown Eastside community. The shelter will be open 24/7 and provide meals as well as access to support services.
The location is an interim space to address immediate needs until a more permanent location for additional beds can be identified by the Province. "We're very pleased to be able to offer 26 additional women's shelter beds this winter while we finalize plans for the renovation of our Powell Place shelter to double its permanent capacity to 52 beds," says Jonathan Oldman, executive director of St. James Community Service Society.
“The Province made a commitment earlier this year to address the concerns of women in need of shelter in the Downtown Eastside,” says Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy and Mines, Minister Responsible for Housing. “We worked with the community to get this space operating as quickly as possible. We will continue to work with our community partners over the longer-term, to secure permanent space for this facility and provide the services that are helping to end homelessness in our province.”
The permanent location of Powell Place Women’s Shelter is 329 Powell Street. In 2010 the service was temporarily relocated to 625 Powell Street and doubled in size to 52 beds. Meanwhile, St. James is planning a comprehensive renovation for 329 Powell but will accommodate the new shelter beds there on an interim basis.
"We hope to begin construction in the fall of 2012,” explains Jonathan Oldman. “We are thrilled the empty space will be put to some good use before that time. We'll be able to help many more women get off the streets this winter and into safe emergency accommodation."
St James Community Service Society currently operates two emergency shelters in Vancouver: Powell Place in the Downtown Eastside and St. Elizabeth’s in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood serving women with children. Both shelters provide 24/7 programming, including case management services. The goal of both programs is to help women and children find secure housing or treatment options in addition to offering them short-term emergency accommodation. In the last two years, 40 to 50 percent of discharged residents have been successfully placed.
St. James is committed to working collaboratively with other women’s-serving groups to provide safe and accessible services to vulnerable women in the Downtown Eastside. St. James Community Service Society has been helping society’s most vulnerable members for 50 years. See www.sjcss.com for more details.
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For further information, please contact:
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Jonathan Oldman
Executive Director
C: 604-562-6220
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