Bob Mackin
Only six people from the closed Lonzo Road homeless camp in Abbotsford accepted offers to move to two nearby shelters.
The Ministry of Housing announced June 30 that the camp is gone, now surrounded by fences and awaiting construction of a 50-bed shelter. It has budgeted $4 million for the facility, to be operated by the Lookout Housing and Health Society.
In a news release, the government said 17 people had been offered indoor housing, but it did not provide a breakdown.
Asked for details, a ministry spokesperson said that 15 people had received eviction notices on June 13, but two more people came to the site afterward.
“Everyone at the site was offered shelter, storage and connections to housing, health, income and social supports.”
Six took up the offers to move to the Riverside and Lighthouse shelters. Nine others chose to relocate “to other locations in the region,” of which two were provided payments to subsidize their rent in privately owned accommodation.
One person had market housing, but kept an RV at the site. The new accommodation for another person was behind bars.
“This person was wanted for criminal charges and so is now currently in custody. As this is a police matter, we cannot provide more information.”
The site had more than two dozen RVs and cars, some of which were used as shelters.
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