Two years ago dozens of homeless residents camped on the sidewalk outside the Kelowna's Gospel Mission emergency shelter. Now the Gospel Mission is adding 10 beds at its second location in an effort to make sure everyone has a roof over their heads this winter.

(ROB MUNRO / iNFOnews.ca)

As temperatures drop, announcements are starting to be made about efforts to increase the emergency winter shelter beds for Kelowna’s homeless population.

Kelowna's Gospel Mission will add 10 beds over the next two weeks to its shelter space at 550 Doyle Ave. bringing it to 60 beds. That, combined with its 60 beds at its Leon Avenue site, brings to 120 the number of beds it has for homeless people.

But other operators of homeless shelters in the city may be expanding as well.

“We’re working with current operators to enhance shelter capacity as well as exploring new spaces,” Stephanie Ball, executive director of the Central Okanagan Journey Home Society, said in a text message to iNFOnews.ca. “Our shelter capacity will increase by 30% this winter and an additional nine to 10% capacity will be built-in for a mat program during extreme weather times.”

READ MORE: City of Kamloops to announce new 'shelter solutions' in coming weeks

Journey Home is coordinating efforts in the region to house the homeless with the goal of having functionally zero homelessness by 2024.

“When people are living outside in freezing temperatures it is a full-time job for them to try and get warm,” JoAnne McKenzie, Gospel Mission’s outreach manager, said in the news release.

“When they are freezing their brains stop working. They are consumed with trying just to stay alive. My heart goes out to anyone who has to try and live through a winter having no place to go.”

Their outreach teams will be out seven days a week during the winter providing things like blankets, sleeping bags, gloves, toques, coats and hand warmers.

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