BACKGROUNDER
2009HSD0034-000405 March 18, 2009	Ministry of Housing and Social Development
BEACON AND HAVEN SHELTERS

The Salvation Army-Vancouver Harbour Light’s Beacon and Haven shelters, located at 138 and 128 East Cordova in Vancouver, provide a total of 100 shelter beds for homeless men.

Renovations to the shelters included creating privacy partitions in sleeping areas, new bed bug resistance flooring and improved lighting. In addition, washrooms, security features, kitchens and common areas were upgraded and furnished.

 

The newly renovated Beacon shelter will provide 60 shelter beds and is next door to the Haven shelter which provides 40 shelter beds. The Haven shelter was renovated early last year and started operating 24/7 in September 2008. Operations at the newly renovated Beacon shelter started in March 2009.

The Beacon and Haven shelters provide gateways to support services that help homeless men establish a plan to re-stabilize their lives. Clients can initially stay up to two weeks and have opportunities to extend their stay if they are progressing towards their goals. In addition, clients are provided with three meals a day and other services to meet their basic nutritional and hygiene needs.

Partners and funding:

• The Province provided $342,000 for renovations, through the Building Repair program and will provide annual operating funding of $3.1 million.
• The Sutherland Foundation made a donation for the complete purchase of the Beacon building.

 

THE SALVATION ARMY-VANCOUVER HARBOUR LIGHT
The Salvation Army-Vancouver Harbour Light has been serving Vancouver's Downtown Eastside Community for over 55 years with the primary goal of reaching out to people in need and helping them become productive, contributing citizens. The society’s shelter program mission is to provide shelter in a loving, respectful and dignified manner; provide a safe place of refuge to those that are homeless in the downtown core; and inform and refer clients to Harbour Light or other community services that will meet their needs and improve their quality of life.

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Contact:

Rhonda Nguyen BC Housing 604 439-4740 604 374-8301 (cell)

Wayne Oster The Salvation Army- Vancouver Harbour Light 604 375-3062

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