The "tent city" that set up in front of Rotary House last year (EverythingGP Staff)

By Emily Keller

homelessness

City working to prevent public encampments, shelters offering daytime programming

May 25, 2020 | 2:14 PM

The City of Grande Prairie has been working to prevent a “tent city” from popping up again this year.

Chris Manuel, Director of Protective and Social Services with the City, says typically, shelters do not operate daytime programming after the winter due to funding not being available, which can lead to situations like last years “tent city”.

But he does say that the current COVID-19 pandemic has changed how shelters are currently operating.

“The shelters have to operate at reduced capacity, so there’s not the same level of crowding that would typically occur. As such, additional facilities have been added and all of these facilities are, frankly, permitting their patrons to remain there throughout the day, so there’s funding in place to operate programs during the day.”

Manuel says outside of people occasionally not wanting to stay in the shelter for the daytime, factors that lead to public encampments have been eliminated as of now.

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“If there’s no where for them to go during the day, then there is court precedent out there that says they’re allowed to tent and provide those basic necessities of shelter. So, what’s in place now is alternatives, so we don’t have a problem saying ‘Hey, there’s a more reasonable alternative for you, than you just choosing not to participate’, so, that’s what gives us the position this year, as opposed to last year.”

Last fall, the City announced the development of a new daytime shelter in the former Prime Property building across from the Rotary House. In March, the Saint Lawrence Centre was awarded the daytime programming contract.

Manuel says that while the building has been renovated and is mostly ready to use, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays.

“The existing facilities are providing those services and meeting that mandate, and there is a limited number of service providers and staff that are able to work in that, and the capacity with COVID restrictions is actually smaller at our daytime facility than at the existing facilities at the moment. So, the decision’s been made that while the COVID response is underway, that we’ll defer operating the daytime shelter,”

“But when that COVID response subsides, we will transition to having the supports for this population at our daytime outreach facility.”

He says that the current situation with the pandemic has led to some unknown territory for them, but that they will continue to deal with challenges as they come.