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Kelowna  

Housing-first shelter to close

Inn from the Cold's Chandler Street House is permanently closing its doors in three months.

The housing-first residence will close at the end of the non-profit's lease on June 30, after a loss of funding. It is the only location of its kind in Kelowna.

“We find ourselves in a very difficult situation and, due to a loss of funding, we are unable to continue to lease the Chandler House,” said executive director Jan Schulz.

The house has provided shared accommodation since 2014 for up to eight individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness.

“We are committed to keeping our residents housed, and our immediate goal is to find an alternative housing solution so no one is left out on the street,”  said Schulz.

The program believes that providing housing is the first step to transition out of homelessness, not the last.

Yearly funding of $66,000 is being discontinued as of March 31.

“We’ve done everything we can to stretch our dollars, but this is a significant loss of funding to our already limited budget,” said Schulz.

The Chandler House Free Store will also close, and administration offices will move to a new location.

Chairman Mark Dixon said the group is optimistic the future will bring new opportunities.

To donate to Inn from the Cold, visit this link.



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