WATCH: Shelter lease extended but still no plan for relocation

The lease has been extended for an emergency shelter on Doyle Avenue, but there is still no plan for what will replace the location.

The lease at the former site of the Daily Courier was set to end on March 31. The province announced Wednesday afternoon that date was extended to June 30.

A news release from BC Housing said the three-month extension will give BC Housing and the City of Kelowna more time to find a new shelter location.

The building is slated to be tore down to make way for construction to begin on the new UBCO downtown campus.

“We are grateful beyond words for the opportunity to continue to provide safe shelter and community for those in our care past March 31,” Carmen Rempel said. She the executive director of Kelowna’s Gospel Mission, which operates the 60-bed site.

“Anxieties have run high this past month as our residents have been preparing to sleep outside. They will be relieved to hear that they will still have a warm bed come April 1.”

Finding a new location comes with many challenges, Rempel has previously hold Kelowna10. That includes getting a place downtown that has enough open space to house the beds and people who use the shelter. There are also security and privacy concerns to take into consideration.

The province also extended the lease on a shelter at 1083 Richter St. until March 31, 2023. This site has 50 beds.

Additionally, BC Housing officials hope to extend the leases at multiple hotels in Kelowna that are providing supported indoor spaces for 82 people.

“BC Housing is looking at all opportunities to increase capacity at these leased sites to accommodate more people sleeping outdoors in the community,” the statement read.

A count in March 2020 found at least 297 people experiencing homelessness in Kelowna, a four per cent increase from 2018. Including these shelters, Kelowna has 276 shelter beds available.