Emergency Shelter Program

Funder
BC Housing
Type
Other
Region
British Columbia, Canada

Emergency shelters are temporary but immediate places to stay for anyone who is homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Eligibility

Find an emergency shelter when:

  • You are an individual or family that does not have a permanent address or residence.
  • You are living and sleeping in public spaces including on the street.
  • You need a place to stay after you left a hospital, rehabilitation centre, treatment centre or correctional facility.
  • You need a place to stay in extremely wet or cold winter weather.
  • You need a place to stay because you left a situation where you were exploited financially, sexually, physically or emotionally.
  • You are living in a temporary situation where you don’t know how long you can stay, for example at a friend’s house, or in a place without a rental agreement.
  • You have less than three months to find a new place to stay after your landlord gave you notice to move out.

Age

  • Shelters are for adults aged 19 years and older.
  • Some shelters may have special facilities for youth, older adults, elders and seniors.
Contact Details
Contact Person
Housing Assistance
Phone
604-433-2218
Additional Info

Find an emergency shelter

  • Quickly locate a shelter and its address, phone number and number of beds
  • The map displays shelters that are open
  • It does not show which open shelters are full or have beds available

Tip: Phone the shelters first if you can. Most shelters are staffed 24 hours a day, but each shelter sets its own hours for accepting new arrivals.

Find a drop-in centre where you can wash, do laundry and use other services.

More shelter options – If a shelter is full, the staff will guide you to other options. Note, they may not be shelters or facilities associated with BC Housing.