These buildings, one of which houses the Inn from the Cold emergency shelter, will be demolished and replaced by a commercial/residential building, some of which will be subsidized.
(ROB MUNRO / iNFOnews.ca)
June 24, 2019 - 11:23 AM
KELOWNA - Inn from the Cold, a Kelowna-based not-for-profit society that offered emergency shelter, case management and in-home support since 1999, is closing its office.
“It is with much regret that we feel we have no choice at this time but to close the society’s office,” said Kim Froom, the treasurer, in a press release.
“We have been blessed to work with an amazing group of staff who are incredibly skilled and compassionate in their support of the homeless and who have continued to remain loyal to the Inn and what it stands for, despite the challenges we’ve faced over the past couple of years.”
In January the Inn closed the doors on the emergency shelter it operated, having lost its lease because the property had been sold for redevelopment. The search for a replacement space came up short.
The Inn sought to lease space in light commercial or industrial parts of town away from downtown and went to further lengths to demonstrate its ability to minimize the impact on surrounding community through "good neighbour protocols" it developed and employed specifically to address this concern.
The Inn’s board of directors will take time to evaluate the society’s values, purpose and future direction.
The land of the old Inn, on Sutherland Avenue across from the Capri Shopping Centre, has been rezoned for a four-storey building that will be leased back to the Knights of Columbus. It will provide commercial space on the ground floor, with 58 rental units above.
Two floors will be market rental with the top floor termed “life leases,” which is a form of subsidized housing.
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