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News that Cornerstone shelter will remain open indefinitely was met with mostly negative reactions from downtown business owners on Friday morning.
The 80-bed shelter has become a contentious issue for the business community in the Leon Avenue area since first opening in November of 2017.
In March, BC Housing announced that Cornerstone would shut down by June, however, those plans have now been replaced with an indefinite timeline.
"Heavy sigh, I understand they need a place to be, but it's difficult for businesses down here to carry on," said Michelle Chassie from Boyd's Autobody on Leon Ave.
"We have to make our customer's comfortable and they're clearly uncomfortable. We get complaints, they're scared, nervous and the homeless people leave so much debris behind."
"We have been told several times now that cornerstone will be closed and every time they wait till the last minute and extend," said Steve Harvey of Business Owners Canada located on Leon Ave.
"Crime, drug use, theft and petty crime is at an all time high. Who is making these decisions? What is the plan moving forward? How is this helping the homeless? How does keeping cornerstone help the downtown?"
The Downtown Kelowna Association (DKA) has said it's "again disappointed" by the news and maintains that a large low-barrier homeless shelter like Cornerstone should not be located in the core of Kelowna’s downtown.
"Even though the DKA opposes Cornerstone’s location on Leon Avenue, The DKA does fully support the efforts of BC Housing, the City of Kelowna, the Journey Home Society and others to establish short-, medium- and long-term housing solutions for Kelowna’s homeless population," stated a press release from the DKA.
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