News & Press Releases

VANCOUVER – People in need of shelter will benefit from the opening of MPA Society’s Cold Weather Shelter, a 40-bed, emergency shelter on Vancouver’s Westside, announced MPA Society, Executive Director, David MacIntyre.

“Working in partnership with the Province and the City of Vancouver, MPA Society is operating 40 new shelter spaces in the Kitsilano community and providing refuge for those most in need,” said MacIntyre. MPA Society’s cold weather shelter will give shelter to adult men and women who need immediate, safe accommodation while also offering gateway support services to help them get back on their feet.

This new 40-bed, temporary emergency shelter is located at 1642 West 4th Avenue and will be operated by the MPA Society, a community-based, non-profit organization that has been actively operating in Kitsilano and throughout Vancouver since 1971. MPA Society is a recognized leader in community mental health service program delivery.

“We know homelessness is not unique to Vancouver’s downtown eastside. As an organization that has been serving people who are homeless and living with mental illness in the Kitsilano area, MPA Society welcomes the opportunity to provide them with a safe environment that allows homeless individuals to get off the street, and offer them an entryway towards a better, more stable life,” said David MacIntyre. “We are thankful to be able to provide this critical service to those in need.”

The shelter will be open seven days a week 24 hours a day from January 15 until April 30, 2010. Staff members will be on-site at all times and can facilitate linking clients to more stable and permanent forms of housing and supports, as well as provide referrals to services including counseling, drug and alcohol treatment and specialized job training. The shelter offers clients two meals a day and provides shower and laundry facilities.

The BC Provincial Emergency Shelter Program gives funding to homeless shelters and drop-in centres to provide a first step towards more stable forms of housing. Partnerships with organizations such as MPA Society can help to find accommodation for homeless people on Vancouver’s streets.

‘Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness’ is a website providing a comprehensive and detailed look at provincial programs and services to address homelessness and their partner organizations involved. Visit www.bchousing.org/breakingthecycle for more information.