Residents questioning site of new homeless shelters in Kelowna
Global News
“The biggest reason why it hits hard for us is because we’ve had a pretty substantial history with issues, with thefts, sadly enough,” said Nick Langelaan of M and M Performance.
Questions are rising about temporary homeless shelters that will be parked alongside Highway 97 in Kelowna, B.C.
The City of Kelowna and the Ministry of Housing released the news on Thursday, an announcement that came out of the blue — especially to businesses located along the stretch of Highway 97 where the shelters will be situated.
“I found out from my wife yesterday,” said Jason Tucker, sales manager at Cap-It Genuine Truckware, one of several businesses in the area. “I got a screenshot to me in the morning, saying ‘Did you know anything about this?’ Which I didn’t.”
The shelters, which will house 60 people, will be placed on a thin strip of city-owned land between Highway 97 and nearby retail stores in a business park.
The site will be fenced, with the city noting a five-year lease is in place with an option to renew for an additional five years.
Tucker said he heard about the announcement via the media, adding, “We haven’t received a letter from anybody yet. So it’s a little frustrating.”
He said, “Communication is big in the world today. I mean, it’s not hard to pick up the phone or pop in or send an email. So having no communication on something as large as this matter is frustrating.”
Tucker also cited concerns about safety for the business and clients, noting “We’ve had previous incidents with that, often break-and-enter, and we’re not even having them living right beside us. So definitely concerned about that.”
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