New modular facility with washrooms and showers opens in Surrey shelter

The temporary facility is installed at Surrey's Cove shelter and aims to provide safe access to showers, washrooms and laundry for people who are homeless.

A new modular facility has opened in Surrey to meet the crucial day-to-day needs of people who are dealing with homelessness.

The temporary facility at the Cove shelter offers access to washrooms, showers and laundry services to some of Surrey’s homeless population. It’s operated by the Surrey Urban Mission Society, which also operates the 42-bed shelter at 10607 King George Blvd.

Mike Musgrove, the society’s executive director, said the facility is a much-needed resource.

“Access to washrooms, showers and laundry has been a gap for many years in the city centre, and this facility will help to meet some of those needs,” he said in a statement released Wednesday by the City of Surrey.

The facility opened Nov. 24, just before the Lower Mainland was blasted with wintry conditions, including snow and plummeting temperatures.

Open from 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, the facility offers access to community workers who can provide one-on-one assistance, a lounge area with a computer workstation and a private office space for consultation. Toiletries and snacks are also available.

The 24-hour Cove shelter opened its doors in late 2019 and has been in high demand. It took in about two dozen people who had previously been staying at a disbanded encampment near King George Boulevard and 112th Avenue.

“Access to washrooms, showers and laundry services is critical in supporting those in our community experiencing homelessness and other life challenges,” said Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke. “The (facility) is part of our commitment to enhance the social infrastructure in Surrey and support the health and well-being of all residents.”

The facility is one of six programs funded by a $19 billion federal government package to help provinces and territories restart their economies post-COVID-19. The funds are administered through a Union of B.C. Municipalities’ program to create temporary programming to support people experiencing homelessness.

In addition to the modular facility, Surrey is also planning to install two public washrooms early next year at the Surrey Memorial Hospital and on Binnie Lane at Grosvenor Road.

More to come …

chchan@postmedia.com

twitter.com/cherylchan

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