Place of Refuge

For many years, First United has provided a place for individuals to rest and sleep during the daytime hours.  Oftentimes in the worst of the winter weather, there have been over 100 people sleeping at First United.

In December 2008, City of Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson asked First United if we could expand our hours of operation to 23/24 hours, 7 days week to provide a place of refuge for those who could not find a shelter bed or who felt uncomfortable in the shelter system but who had nowhere else to go.  With a week’s time to plan and get ready, we agreed to the Mayor’s request.  Given our previous experience we thought that we would be able to find space for 150 people maximum.  We agreed that we would not take names of those who wished to stay in the building, we would maintain an open door policy that would allow people to come and go as they wished and we would not turn anyone away.

Opening the end of the first week of December 2008, we were amazed by the response of the Downtown Eastside community to our decision to stay open.  Despite the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, the building filled up.  First United slept an average of 240 people every night of the winter of 2008/2009 with some night totals reaching as high as 350.  Based on the statistics kept for BC Housing, First United provided 55 percent of all the shelter bed space in the City of Vancouver.

Recognizing an ongoing need,  funding for our Place of Refuge has been extended beyond the initial three months to the end of March 2012 and we have adapted our operation to meet the needs of the community.  The number of meals we serve has been increased dramatically.  Having a place to sleep and the assurance of regular meals  is the first step forward for many members of this community who are working to put their lives back together.   Our Place of Refuge provides an important entry point into the continuum of housing options.