{"id":18078,"date":"2025-02-25T03:27:53","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T03:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/25\/new-winter-shelter-model-in-penticton-proving-successful-okanagan\/"},"modified":"2025-02-25T03:27:53","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T03:27:53","slug":"new-winter-shelter-model-in-penticton-proving-successful-okanagan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/25\/new-winter-shelter-model-in-penticton-proving-successful-okanagan\/","title":{"rendered":"New winter shelter model in Penticton proving successful – Okanagan"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

A new-to-Penticton winter shelter model is so far proving successful.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our first year operating the temporary model instead of the emergency response, which was temperature threshold, and it\u2019s been such a vast change in being able to stabilize people,\u201d said Desiree Surowski, executive director of the Penticton Overdose Prevention Society, which operates the site.<\/p>\n

The temporary designation means, unlike previous years, the shelter is open all winter regardless of temperatures.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe opened Nov. 16 and we will stay opened until March 31,\u201d Surowski told Global news. \u201cIt\u2019s 24 hours. People don\u2019t have to reapply for a bed very day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penticton city council received a progress report on the winter shelter during its regular meeting last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very encouraging,\u201d said Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield. \u201cIt\u2019s been much more successful than previous efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Click
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Located in a mainly industrial area southeast of the downtown core, the shelter operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The operating hours are being attributed to reducing problems, such as daytime loitering.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"For\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n

Get breaking National news<\/h3>\n

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cKicking everybody out at 9 a.m\u2026. well what do you have then? You have 40 people in a neighbourhood waiting for it to open that night,\u201d said Surowksi. \u201cSo there is going to be a greater impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under the new model, many problems have been largely alleviated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been a total game changer,\u201d said Michael Magnusson, executive director for the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n

Magnusson said the chamber has received no complaints this winter from its business members \u2014 a stark difference from years past.<\/p>\n

\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cCalling, emailing, sending me pictures of the complaints of what it was doing to the surrounding neighbourhoods,\u201d Magnusson said. \u201cWe are hearing none of that this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Click
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n