City of Surrey Adopts Action Plan on Homelessness

July 9, 2013

Surrey, BC – City of Surrey Council adopted the Master Plan for Housing the Homeless in Surrey at last evening’s (July 8, 2013) regular Council Meeting. The Plan focuses on creating additional supportive housing units for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

“The City is committed to ensuring everyone has a home and our strategy to address homelessness needs to be tailored to community needs,” said City of Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts. “This plan will position Surrey well as Provincial funding for homelessness and housing projects become available.”

The four key action areas for the plan over the next five years include:

1. The creation of an additional 450 units of transitional and supported housing for people who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness;

2. The replacement of the Gateway emergency shelter facility in Whalley with a new purpose-built facility that also incorporates transitional housing units;

3. Supportive housing, shelter and drop-in services that focus on vulnerable population groups that have unique needs including children, youth, women, Aboriginal people, and “hard to house” homeless people with more complex health issues; and

4. Continuing to strengthen partnerships and collaboration with BC Housing, Fraser Health Authority, the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society, and other government funders and foundations.

“Surrey’s Homeless Plan gives us the opportunity to work collaboratively as a community with the Province and other funders to end homelessness,” said Councillor Judy Villeneuve, Chair of the Social Planning Advisory Committee, and President of the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society. “The Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society is already aligning its granting and fund development efforts with the Plan’s priorities.”

The City developed the Homeless Plan in partnership with BC Housing and Fraser Health Authority. Other government and non-profit agencies, the business community, and homelessness task forces and committees in Surrey all contributed their knowledge and perspectives to the development of Surrey’s Homeless Plan.

For more information, please visit: http://www.surrey.ca/community/11209.aspx.

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Program info contact:

Aileen Murphy
Senior Social Planner
Surrey Planning & Development Dept.
604-591-4315

Media Contact:

Judy Mann
Executive Assistant
Office of the Mayor
778-846-0397

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