'I'm still cold': Homeless underwhelmed by plan to build new housing in Prince Rupert after winter ends
Province announces modular housing for spring 2018 after homeless camp set up outside city hall
Every day, Stephen Brown wakes up early and starts moving around so he can feel his limbs again.
"I still walk around at six o'clock in the morning just so I can feel my feet and feel my arms and just try to be warm," he said.
Brown is one of several people sleeping in a homeless camp that was set up last week beside Prince Rupert City Hall in order to draw attention to the lack of support for the homeless in the North Coast city.
The camp reignited the conversation around homelessness in the community, prompting Mayor Lee Brain to once again call on the province for support in solving the problem.
That call was answered Tuesday when the province announced $3.6 million in funding for 44 modular homes to be built in the city in spring 2018, after working with B.C. Housing to find a location.
Brown was happy to hear the news, but remained concerned he would be spending the winter with just a tent and two blankets keeping him warm.
"I understand that they're trying to do something to help but ... what are you going to do between now and then?" he asked.
'A need that is not being met'
Though Prince Rupert has not had an official homeless count, the city has identified a deficit of shelters for several years.
Mayor Brain said that deficit is driven in part by speculation around the liquefied natural gas industry and the growth of Prince Rupert's port.
"Many tenants were renovicted, while homeowners sought to sell their homes as property values increased," he wrote in a letter to the province.
"Unfortunately, the economic benefit of port growth has not spread to underprivileged families in Prince Rupert, and many are considered precariously housed."
I'm grateful for the tent. I'm grateful for the two blankets. But I'm still cold when I wake up- Stephen Brown
North Coast NDP MLA Jennifer Rice said her government recognized the problem, pointing out that 7.3 per cent of Prince Rupert residents live on income assistance compared to a 1.4 per cent average province-wide.
"There is a commitment that understands that we have a need that is not being met," she said.
Mayor Brain said that, in the short-term, the city was searching for space for an emergency winter shelter to be managed by the North Coast Transition Society and funded by the province's Rapid Response to Homeless Initiative, once a suitable location could be found.
At the homeless camp, Brown was hopeful that location would be found sooner rather than later.
"I'm grateful for the tent. I'm grateful for the two blankets. But I'm still cold when I wake up."
With files from George Baker.
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