Opening for temporary shelters at Bedford Hotel delayed

In an effort to create additional shelters for the homeless to spend the night during the winter, the City of Edmonton and the Province invested over $7.5 million for temporary shelters at the Bedford Hotel in the beginning of December.

At the initial announcement of the shelters, Alberta’s minister responsible for Social Services, Jeremy Nixon, said his office was working to open 150 new spaces “in the near future.”

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But now, the plan to open those shelters has been delayed.

“Unforeseen circumstances have affected the opening date of the site,” a spokesperson for the City told CityNews in a statement on Wednesday. “An update will be provided once the new opening date is confirmed.”

Despite no confirmed timeline for the opening of the shelters, the 209 rooms are expected to be available by mid-January.