Notice of Temporary Winter Shelter at səmiq̓ʷəʔelə
People experiencing homelessness in the Tri-Cities area will soon benefit from 20 new temporary shelter spaces opening in Coquitlam in the new year.
“Helping more people experiencing homelessness come inside, with warm, safe shelter spaces, will go a long way to help the community of Coquitlam,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “We’re committed to helping vulnerable people and communities continue to make progress on homelessness, which is why we are adding these temporary shelter spaces to support people experiencing homelessness. We will continue to work on housing solutions with kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation, the City of Coquitlam and other local governments and housing partners, so our communities remain strong.”
This new temporary shelter will be located at 2601 Lougheed Hwy. at səmiq̓ʷəʔelə, “Place of the Great Blue Heron”, a place that holds cultural and spiritual significance for the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm people. The shelter will operate nightly from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. to help ensure more people experiencing homelessness in the Tri-Cities have places to stay overnight.
The addition of these shelter spaces during the winter was made possible through strong advocacy and partnership between the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation, the City of Coquitlam and the province, through BC Housing and local MLAs Jennifer Blatherwick, Jodie Wickens and Rick Glumac.
Temporary winter shelter spaces
These spaces will be operated on a temporary basis from January until April 2026 by Progressive Housing Society, while all partners continue to work on more permanent housing solutions, such as permanent shelter spaces and supportive housing.
Temporary shelters help to minimize local encampments by supporting people who are experiencing homelessness, especially during cold and wet winter months. To help support people to access these spaces, a shuttle service will be available, with stops at three locations in the Tri-Cities area.
The Province, through BC Housing, is funding nearly 6,500 shelter spaces in almost 60 communities throughout B.C. this winter season.
As of June 30, 2025, the Province has more than 93,600 homes delivered or underway, including more than 9,400 supportive housing units and more than 1,400 homes open or underway in the Tri-Cities area, of which 80 are supportive homes. Additionally, there are approximately 42 shelter spaces in the Tri-Cities area.