District permanently closes Third and Main encampment site
The District reversed its plan to let residents return after a September 18 fire and propane tank ignitions near Under One Roof, which houses supportive housing, an emergency shelter and the food bank. Fire Chief Aaron Foote also cited limited access for emergency crews.
What changesUnder One Roof has 40 residents, 20 shelter users and 70 staff, according to the District.
What happened
The District of Squamish has reversed an earlier decision about the encampment site at Third Avenue and Main Street. People who were living at the site will not be allowed to go back. The District says it is closing the site permanently to any future encampment. Encampment residents are being told about the change.
The change follows a fire and propane tank ignitions behind Under One Roof on September 18. The District says the fire raised serious fire safety concerns for the building, the services it offers and the people inside it.
Why the District made the change
Under One Roof is Squamish's only supportive housing, shelter and food bank facility. According to the District, the building has:
- 40 residents
- 20 emergency shelter users
- 70 staff
"The recent fire and explosions heightened existing concerns about the proximity of the encampment site to Squamish's only supportive housing, shelter and food bank facility," said Squamish Fire Rescue Chief Aaron Foote. He added that getting in and out of the site "was extremely challenging" for fire crews, RCMP and emergency services, because residents needed help to leave the site.
Support for people who were displaced
The District says it is still working with outreach workers to help people who had to leave the encampment. Help being offered includes:
- short-term places to stay at Under One Roof
- other alternate accommodations
- tents and tarps
Lori Pyne, Executive Director of Squamish Helping Hands, said the people affected are "some of our community's most vulnerable" and that the move may be unsettling for them. "Closing this site doesn't solve the underlying challenges they face, it simply changes where they are," she said. She said her group will keep working with the District and its partners to connect people with the resources they need.
A new site at Vancouver Street and Loggers Lane
The District says it knows some encampment residents have moved to a site at the corner of Vancouver Street and Loggers Lane. The District owns land in that area. It plans to put in:
- a portable toilet
- a bear-proof waste bin
More information
The District has answers to common questions about this work, and about supportive and transitional housing projects in Squamish, at squamish.ca/addressing-homelessness. You can read the full District of Squamish news release.
For more coverage, see our pages on homelessness and housing.