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Meeting set for Maple Ridge homeless shelter

MLAs now in charge of public consultation on where to put $15-million shelter.
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Tent camp on Cliff Avenue formed in spring of 2015.

The two local MLAs have set a date for a public meeting on a new homeless shelter and supportive housing complex in Maple Ridge.

Liberals Doug Bing and Marc Dalton were handed the task in September, following Premier Christy Clark’s visit, when she said the two would have the final say on the location.

Dalton said the tentative date for the meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 31.

It will take place in the evening, with the time and format to be confirmed, at Maple Ridge Baptist Church, on 222nd Street and Lougheed Highway.

Two locations for a $15-million homeless shelter and supportive housing complex, both proposed by B.C. Housing last year, were both rejected by the MLAs after public outcry.

The Quality Inn was proposed as a interim location, so people in the temporary homeless shelter at 22239 Lougheed Hwy. had a place to go while a permanent shelter is being built.

However, that project was cancelled before it went to the public.

As well, a location at 21375 Lougheed Hwy. was cancelled. It would have allowed interim modular housing to be set up while construction proceeded on a 60-bed shelter and supportive housing complex at the same location.

The temporary homeless shelter, where 40 people live on cots in a barracks setting, initially was supposed to close in March last year, but has been twice delayed.

It’s now supposed to close this March 31.

Dalton said the Jan. 31 meeting is only part of the consultation the MLAs have been doing. The provincial politicians were given the task in September after Maple Ridge council walked away from the rezoning process following Clark’s announcement that the MLAs had the final say.

“We have heard a lot. We’ve had lot of engagement up to now. But I think this is another opportunity to really hear from people,” Dalton said.

“I’ve never heard about an issue more … as a politician … more than on this issue.”

Following the Jan. 31 meeting, the MLAs will figure out what to do next.

“This will be an important piece of helping direct our steps,” Dalton said.

“We’re not going to have a brand new place built on March 31.”