Skip to content

Local program assisting those in need of emergency housing in Revelstoke

Emergency Shelter Pilot Program helps those in need of a warm, safe place to stay
27980127_web1_210909-RTR-home-prices-house_1
A home in downtown Revelstoke. (Josh Piercey/Revelstoke Review)

Revelstoke Community Connections offers help for people in the community who are in need of a roof over their heads through a pilot program that supports those experiencing the different levels of homelessness.

They run the Emergency Shelter Pilot Program to help those in need of a warm, safe place to stay. The one-year pilot program has rented out four rooms at a local hotel as a place to direct people in need with temporary shelter.

The Revelstoke RCMP, Women’s Shelter and Queen Victoria Hospital direct often have individuals who come to them seeking assistance outside of regular operating hours. Those organizations direct the individuals to the hotel, which accommodates them in one of the rooms, and contacts community connections with the details the next day.

Erin Maclachlan, Co-Director of Community Outreach and Development at Revelstoke Community Connections, said that their organization has always supported individuals who need housing assistance, just with no formal program. Before, the organization would use funds from small grants and donations to put people up in hotel rooms individually. The program allows them to support people in a cost-effective way.

READ MORE: ‘Building the local food system’–Community Connections building incubator kitchen

The program supports people in a variety of circumstances, whether it’s someone with nowhere to go, no family or friends to turn to, or even no running water. Community Connections also supports individuals who are transient and just passing through town with shelter and bus tickets to their next destination, or to a community with a fully operational shelter.

“As a community, we’re doing the best we can,” said Maclachlan. “We do not have affordable housing.”

With the annual pace of inflation at record highs in Canada, and the average assessed property value of homes in Revelstoke up 32 per cent in 2021, finding a place to live and having the ability to support yourself has become increasingly difficult. Maclachlan said that housing is out of reach for a lot of people due to the increase in the cost of living and wages that have remained stagnant.

READ MORE: Canada’s annual inflation rate rises to 4.8% in December, highest since 1991

Maclachlan said that distinction in language is important when discussing homelessness. She stressed the importance of thinking of homelessness as something people experience, not as a defining characteristic.

“Most people consider someone who’s homeless as someone living outside or panhandling,” said Maclachlan. “That’s not the picture of homelessness.”

Maclachlan said those experiencing homelessness may be couch surfing, renting a room in a dilapidated house or trailer, or living in their car.

“If I was homeless, I wouldn’t want people to look at me and define me in that one way,” said Maclachlan. “For most people, homelessness is not something that they’ve chosen.”

Maclachlan said there is a spectrum of housing that is mostly unknown: the different types of social housing that exist between homelessness and homeownership.

“The ideal scenario for most folks is homeownership,” said Maclachlan. “That takes a whole lot of money. In between living outside and owning a home, there are levels”

A diagram of the levels of housing, adopted from the BC Housing Emergency Shelter Program: Program Framework, from March 2012. (BC Housing)
A diagram of the levels of housing, adopted from the BC Housing Emergency Shelter Program: Program Framework, from March 2012. (BC Housing)

From the emergency shelter, Community Connections helps people along the next steps towards supportive housing by managing subsidized housing in Revelstoke, a program that aids those with a fixed and low-to-moderate income by supporting a percentage of their rental expenses.

Maclachlan said there is a need for more supportive housing both in Revelstoke and across the province. All subsidized housing units in the community are currently occupied. She added that proper income support and a better minimum wage would alleviate some of the housing struggle.

Community Connections supports people to live their preferred life. They said that it’s important not to make the assumption that everyone wants to live in a particular colonial way. Some people prefer to live outside or be transient, and they look to give people access to the housing that they want.

For more information on the Emergency Shelter Pilot Program or if you have questions about housing or need support visit community-connections.ca.


@josh_piercey
josh.piercey@revelstokereview.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

and subscribe to our daily newsletter.