COVID-19: Victoria drops Beacon Hill as site for temporary homeless shelter

COVID-19: Victoria drops Beacon Hill as site for temporary homeless shelter
CHEK
Some of the tents set up in downtown Victoria.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said the city will not be using Beacon Hill Park as one of the locations for a temporary outdoor homeless shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Help, who made the announcement in her daily address, said the city will be focusing on Royal Athletic Park and Topaz Park for the outdoor shelters.

According to Helps, having two sites will help them get the shelters up faster. Dr. Richard Stanwick, chief medical health officer for Island Health, and Island Health has asked the city to go to two sites to “maximize efficiency.”

The sites are being used to help reduce the growing number of people and tents along the 900-block of Pandora, in order to create physical distance necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19.

At the temporary shelters, there will be access to washrooms, handwashing stations, showers and medical advice.

The city has also secured 35 hotel rooms for homeless individuals who do not require support services, such as people who have lost their job or can’t cay rent. The delegation of the rooms will be managed by Pacifica Housing.

Mayor Lisa Helps will be holding updates every day at 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. They can be viewed on theCity of Victoria Facebook page.

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