SURREY, B.C. - There are 6,588 shelter spaces available in 63 communities across British Columbia this winter, including 527 in Surrey, the provincial government said in a November 10 bulletin.
The count, current as of November 1, covers every type of shelter the Province funds through BC Housing: 4,270 permanent spaces, 291 temporary year-round spaces, 534 HEARTH (Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing) spaces, 793 temporary winter spaces, and 700 extreme weather response spaces. Winter shelters run from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, while extreme weather spaces open overnight only when a community issues an extreme weather alert.
Surrey’s 527 spaces
Surrey’s permanent shelters include Rosewood Shelter (60 spaces), Lookout Guildford (46), Hyland House (45), The Olive Branch (45), The Cove (42), Lookout Gateway (40), Lookout Parkway (40), Surrey Urban Mission (40), Foxglove Shelter (27) and Bill Reid Place (16). A temporary winter shelter run by Options Community Services in Cloverdale adds 25 spaces.
When an extreme weather alert is called, six more Surrey sites open overnight: South Surrey (45 spaces), SUMS NightShift (16), SUMS Olive Branch (16), SUMS Place (10), PCRS in Whalley (8) and Shimai House (6).
Shelters provide a place to sleep overnight and include hot meals and access to support services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
How to find a bed
BC Housing’s shelter map at smap.bchousing.org lists every shelter in the province and is updated daily during BC Housing operating hours as new and extreme-weather spaces are activated. For bed availability, the Province advises contacting the local shelter directly. More spaces may open in the coming months.
Surrey’s 527 spaces are the second-largest total among the communities listed in detail, behind Vancouver’s 1,866. Victoria has 473, Kamloops 326, Kelowna 323 and Prince George 151.
(Source: Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs, November 10, 2026)
By Apna News
