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After some nail-biting at Vancouver city hall, money for shelters is announced

November 24th, 2010 · 28 Comments

There was huge anxiety at Vancouver city hall the last two months over whether Housing Minister Rich Coleman would come up with the money to fund the four extra winter shelters that operated last year.

In fact, people I talked to sounded sincerely dismayed at what seemed to be an uncompromising message from the province that it wouldn’t fund the shelters.

So I was surprised to read the announcement from the minister yesterday that he was going to be kicking in $1.5 million. His answer why is here.

I have to say, it’s cheering to see the way the city and province, who have their tensions and conflicts, managing to do the right thing out of all this. Penny Ballem and the mayor, whatever their other faults, have really stuck to their guns on this and pushed hard. And the minister, well, he huffs and puffs but ends up doing the right thing. Those 160 people who get to sleep inside the rest of the winter are the winners. So are we.

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