For some, finding a safe place to sleep at night isn’t always easy. In fact, for those without homes, it’s not uncommon to be removed from spaces that feel the safest, like business and store fronts. But one downtown Vancouver mall is changing that.
Vancouver’s CF Pacific Centre is inviting those with nowhere to go at night to sleep on its property.
“Everyone thinks it’s easy to get into a shelter. It’s not,” Brent Findley, senior manager of security, life and safety at Cadillac Fairview’s CF Pacific Centre told the Vancouver Courier. “[Vancouver’s] always sort of been in a bit of a homeless crisis, but it’s becoming a mental health and addiction crisis as well.”
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The hope is to not only give the homeless a place to rest their heads at night, but also provide a sense of protection through nighttime security and cameras.
In addition, the company will be opening its doors and facilities up to individuals who need to warm up or use the bathroom first thing in the morning, something that will be particularly beneficial after cold nights.
The night shift staff at CF Pacific Centre will also be trained on how to de-escalate confrontations that may arise and will conduct life safety checks throughout the evenings.
While there’s still a lot to figure out when it comes to Vancouver’s homelessness crisis, allowing people to stay on the mall property is a step in the right direction.
Featured image: Instagram/@mseidelman
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