Surrey Strip’s tent-city inhabitants move into modular housing units
Tents that once filled Surrey’s 135A Street were thrown out over the course of three days, as residents of the homeless encampment were moved into three, new, temporary, modular-housing facilities — though not everyone accepted the move.
The street was virtually empty by Friday morning after a street cleanup Thursday night. Individuals were given a placement within 160 recently opened units of temporary housing. Another 160 people are sleeping in shelter spots.
“It was an enormous plan,” said Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner. “There were a lot of people wondering a year ago if it could ever happen.”
The temporary units exist on property that is leased for two years. The city says its next step is to build 250 units of permanent housing, which it hopes will open by the end of 2019.
But a number of the tent-city’s former residents are still not housed.
“A few people have taken off to other areas,” said Surrey by law enforcement manager Jas Rehal. “There are some people in ravines and we are patrolling those areas.”
Rehal said the city is working quickly to have 135A treated as a regular street, adding that setting up tents will no longer be permitted.
A crew of about 75 people assisted in the move, a process described as relatively smooth by Terry Waterhouse, the city’s director of public-safety strategies.
“They can now focus on issues related to treatment, employment and health,” Waterhouse said. “They can focus on other aspects of their lives because their housing needs are better met now.”
But some in the community voiced criticism over how the transition was managed.
Erin Schulte, an advocate for the homeless who also operates a pop-up soup kitchen for the community, said the past few days were “pure and utter chaos.”
“It did not go smoothly, it was a lot of people who were scared, and fearful of what would happen if they didn’t comply,” she said.
Schulte also expressed concern for those that didn’t get into the modular housing, but have also been moved from Surrey’s tent city.
“Those who have been in the shelter situation, it’s really not a good way to live your life,” she said. “You’re simply sleeping there. From seven in the morning you have to haul everything that you own around the city, all day long.”
The Front Room, a site that has provided drop-in services to the homeless, was closed. The city says health and support services have been made available to the three, separate, modular-housing sites, which will also be available to use for non-residents.