Self-isolation beds secured for less fortunate

Thirteen people with nowhere else to self-isolate are being put up in motels and hotels in Penticton, according to BC Housing.

“Local health authorities will identify people who require self-isolation and BC Housing will work with the health authorities and the operators to make these spaces available to them,” BC Housing spokeswoman Samantha Cacnio said in an email.

The agency already has 17 beds at two undisclosed sites up and running, while negotiations are in the works to add another 120 beds at three more sites.

They’re part of 2,750 such spaces BC Housing has secured across the province to help homeless people, particularly those living in camps, and others with insecure housing.

“These sites are vital to preventing the spread of COVID-19 as they allow us to spread out the number of people in existing shelters, free up acute care beds in hospitals, and prevent crowding,” added Cacnio.

People can only get a bed through a referral from BC Housing or Interior Health if there’s a need for them to self-isolate due to having COVID-19 symptoms or if they’re immune compromised or otherwise have a high risk of contracting the illness.

When it made the announcement about the 2,750 shelter beds on April 25, BC Housing noted in a press release that locations wouldn’t be disclosed in order to protect clients’ privacy. However, the release states 80 of Penticton’s beds are expected to be supplied by Victory Church.

Kelowna is getting 120 beds at four sites, including 40 spaces at the Kelowna

Curling Club, while Vernon is getting 114 beds at four sites, including 70 at the Vernon Curling Club.

The broader program was in part an effort to clear out overcrowded homeless camps in Vancouver and Victoria, where 686 and 324 spaces, respectively, have been secured in local hotels and motels.