Homelessness in Kelowna has tripled since last year and additional resources are required, said Kevin Mead, Manager of Bylaw Services.

Attention has been drawn to the rapidly expanding city-maintained encampment along the Rail Trail, off Richter Street.

On Oct. 20, the weekly cleaning of sa国际传媒楾ent Citysa国际传媒� required the use of a backhoe, a dump truck, and approximately 20 RCMP and bylaw officers.

Each morning at 9a.m. residents of the encampment are required to pack up their belongings and vacate the site. On Thursdays the site is grated and the gravel is raked clean.

Mead told Capital News that he has seen a sa国际传媒渄ramatic increasesa国际传媒� in the number of people experiencing un-sheltered homelessness across the city, for reasons that are sa国际传媒渂eyond the municipalitysa国际传媒檚sa国际传媒檚 control.sa国际传媒�

Carmen Rempel, Executive Director of Kelownasa国际传媒檚 Gospel Mission said that sa国际传媒渉omelessness is a symptom of many different societal issues,sa国际传媒� including trauma, substance use and poverty that needs to be addressed on a national, provincial and municipal level.

To help the un-housed, a new shelter has been opened on Bay Avenue, but due to a staffing shortage it is only able to operate at half capacity.

Rempel, said that the new shelter has the ability to house 60 people and hopes that it will be fully operational before the snow falls.

She explained that shelter is the first step to help people out of homelessness.

Rempel said that the city has an acute need for more shelter and housing options.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not easy, and itsa国际传媒檚 not cheap, but it is simple,sa国际传媒� said Rempel.

Jacqueline.Gelineau@kelownacapnews.com
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