Surrey’s homeless set to move into temporary modular housing units
For the past four years, Joey has been homeless, living first on Surrey’s notorious 135A Street, and more recently in shelters.
As of Tuesday, Joey once again has a place to call his own.
He is one of about 160 people moving off the streets of Surrey and from shelters into temporary modular housing units in the City Centre area.
The supportive units, a joint project involving the city, B.C. Housing and Fraser Health, will house people for the next two years until 250 permanent modular homes can be built.
“It’s not easy, living on the street. I actually had a normal lifestyle at one time, where I had a home, I had a loving family, this and that. I got involved with drugs. It took me down the wrong path and I ended up on the streets,” said Joey, who did not want his last name published. “I’m really happy about these places that I’m going to be moving into real soon.”
About 18 months ago the city endorsed the City Centre response plan, which created emergency shelter spaces and an outreach team made up of police, bylaw officers and representatives from health and community services.
Brenda Prosken, regional director for B.C. Housing, said that initiative gave workers the opportunity to get to know people living on 135A Street, also known as the Strip, and nearby shelters and assess them to determine what kind of housing and support services they need.
Three sites were identified for temporary modular housing — on 105 Avenue, King George Boulevard and 107A Avenue — and the units were delivered in May.
All of the people on 135A have been offered either space at one of four shelters or temporary modular housing. Some people who are in shelters, like Joey, will be moved into the temporary housing.
“This is the first step where we have an opportunity to bring them inside, to a place where it is safe, where it is warm, where it is dry,” said Prosken.
The most recent Metro Vancouver homeless count found that more than 600 people in Surrey are homeless, about 400 of whom live in the City Centre area. Almost 240 of those people are sheltered, while the rest live on 135A Street.
Terry Waterhouse, the city’s director of public safety strategies, said there is enough room between the shelters and modular housing to get everyone off the Strip, if they want to leave.
“We want that street to become the thoroughfare that every other street is: a sidewalk for pedestrians, a street for cars and cyclists, that sort of thing. No one is choosing to live on the sidewalk and we don’t want anybody to feel they have to live on the sidewalk,” said Waterhouse. “We are confident people will choose housing over the street.”
The studio units have an ensuite, bed, chair, desk, mini fridge and microwave. At each site there is a communal hangout and dining area where meals and access to free laundry are provided. Pets and visitors will be allowed.
Each site will be overseen by at least two staff members 24 hours a day. Residents will have access to health and counselling services, along with life and employment skills programming. There is some storage on site, along with a safe consumption room for people who use drugs.
The process of moving people from shelters and the street will take place over three days, starting on Tuesday. Those living in tents on the street will receive help to move and will be allowed to bring two plastic bins of belongings. Each person will be provided with a welcome package containing basic items, like toiletries, when they arrive.
Bailey Mumford, Surrey housing manager for Lookout Housing and Health Society, which is operating the modular sites, said the overall response from clients has been positive. It’s a big transition, but one that will hopefully help them move forward with their lives.
“Most people we speak to are very excited about having these new opportunities and we found that the people that were apprehensive, after a bit of a conversation it was mostly anxiety of the unknown that caused them to be worried,” he said.
“We were expecting to have a lot of people not excited about this move, but we’ve been really surprised.”
Waterhouse said the temporary modular housing is a first step, and the city is working with the province, police and outreach workers to help those who are homeless outside the City Centre area.
“The word ‘success’ will never be used. We’re pleased with the model we’ve been able to build with our partners, but this is just the beginning,” he said.
The province has allocated about $15.8 million for the temporary housing, plus about $1 million per year in operating funding.