The City of Surrey and BC Housing have partnered on an initiative to develop a Master Plan for Housing the Homeless in Surrey. Council adopted the Master Plan, prepared by CitySpaces, in July 2013. The initiative aims to identify, and respond to the needs for long-term housing and support services for people who are homeless, or at-risk of becoming homeless. Additionally, this initiative focuses on the need for emergency shelters and related services.
The purpose of the initiative was to ensure future actions to address homelessness in Surrey are coordinated and strategic, so that resources that are available respond to identified priorities and are used to maximum effect. This Plan is also intended to assist the City and Surrey-based non-profit organizations to proactively respond to partnership opportunities with the Province and other funders.
The Master Plan for Housing the Homeless in Surrey outlines a program to generate 450 new units of supported housing over a five-year period. This figure is considered a reasonable and achievable target in response to the need identified by the Count. The Master Plan identifies priorities for action and quantifies goals to target over the next five years.
The Plan identifies the following population groups to be in particular need of supportive housing:
- Individuals with mental health and/or substance abuse issues
- Women and women with children
- Youth
- Aboriginal people
Surrey’s Master Plan for Housing the Homeless is focused on the provision of additional supportive housing units as a response to the homelessness situation. However, it also highlights the need for improvements to the emergency shelters that currently work with these populations.
When this target of 450 new units of supported housing is achieved, it will match the number of Surrey residents who were identified in the 2011 Metro Vancouver Homelessness Count, as well as provide a contingency of 10%, which takes into account the likely “undercount”, and Surrey’s continuing population growth.
PROJECT TEAM:
Noha Sedky Andy Hiscox