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Sooke’s homeless displaced to Ed Macgregor park

Temporary homeless shelter at SEAPARC closed July 22
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Sooke’s homeless have relocated to Ed Macgregor Park following the closure of the temporary shelter at SEAPARC. (Kevin Laird - Sooke News Mirror)

After the temporary shelter at SEAPARC Leisure Complex closed, some of Sooke’s homeless have relocated to Ed Macgregor Park.

The temporary shelter was vacated on Monday due to SEAPARC hosting youth camps starting June 29.

Fourteen people have moved to Ed Macgregor, and it’s unclear how long they will stay.

As there aren’t many options for affordable housing units the area, the District of Sooke, along with other community groups, are working to find a solution.

The Sooke Region Communities Health Network, in collaboration with B.C. Housing, regional health authorities and municipal governments, have been looking to find possible temporary housing sites and funding to support the homeless population moving forward.

“Part of embracing the new normal during the pandemic is thinking outside the box, forging new relationships with community partners and finding solutions that work for everyone,” said Mayor Maja Tait in a press release. “In Sooke, we have big hearts and we take care of our own. When we see unhoused members in a park we step in to find a better way.”

ALSO READ: Sooke temporary homeless shelter packs up early

Securing a new sight would allow the Sooke Region Communities Health Network to continue providing on-site support, as they were previously providing at SEAPARC.

“I sincerely thank SEAPARC for stepping up in April to help us take care of our vulnerable neighbors who had no place to go when COVID-19 hit,” said Tait. “ It was always intended as a transitional stabilization unit, and we now have to find a longer-term solution that will help bridge us to the opening of 49 shelter rate housing units that will be available in the next 12-18 months.”

MORE TO COME …

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