New Shelter Opens
Replacing Extreme Weather Response Shelter
JANUARY 15, 2025 | BC Housing | Nicola Valley Shelter and Support Society
BC Housing, in association with the Nicola Valley Shelter and Support Society, released a letter to neighbours about the new shelter at the Knights Inn at 2702 Nicola Avenue opening this week. This shelter will provide 40 warm, safe indoor spaces for people experiencing homelessness in Merritt. This shelter is replacing the Desert Inn shelter that permanently closed in July 2024.
BC Housing first shared news of this shelter with neighbours in August of 2024. Since then, they have been working to complete important upgrades to the building. This included installing a fire alarm system, fencing, gates, security cameras and storage, and upgrading the electrical systems.
Nicola Valley Shelter and Support Society (NVSSS) will operate this shelter and provide services to guests. NVSSS is an experienced shelter operator with the training, qualifications, and skills necessary to support shelter guests. Over the coming weeks, NVSSS will start gradually welcoming shelter guests.
With the opening of this new shelter, NVSSS is closing their Extreme Weather Response (EWR) shelter at 1755 Coldwater Avenue in Merritt. An EWR shelter opens when an EWR alert is issued for Merritt under the following conditions (subject to change on direction from the Medical Health Officer):
- Temperatures (sustained or wind chill) of ≤ -7 Celsius or lower; and/or
- Snow storm accumulating more than 5cm combined with ≤ -3 Celsius; and/or
- Rain/freezing rain with combined with ≤ -3 Celsius
Questions?
BC Housing and NVSSS are committed to being good neighbours. We will answer questions and address concerns related to the shelter quickly and collaboratively. For contact information, see the Who to Call | When to Call sheet distributed in August 2024, or download a copy at letstalkhousingbc.ca/merritt-nicola-avenue.
For general questions about the project, please contact BC Housing by emailing communityrelations@bchousing.org.
For questions about the shelter program, please contact NVSSS by emailing nvssssheltersw@outlook.com.