With Society status in place, Unity City of Prince Rupert begins work on homeless advocacy

A newly formed Society in Prince Rupert looks to serve
as advocates for the city's homeless residents
(photo from Unity City of Prince Rupert Facebook page)

An organization that was formed in the wake of the Tent City protest at City Hall has made some giant strides in its bid to become advocates for the homeless in Prince Rupert.

The Unity City Society of Prince Rupert applied for official status in November and found quick approval for its quest, with a certificate of incorporation granted to the group on November 27th.

The granting of Society status now means that the group can move forward with grant applications, as well as to apply for funding for their operations. Their status as a Society also means that they now seek out a gaming licence, to assist in any fundraising plans that they may have in the future.

The organization features 10 directors, with Valery Simonds providing for the main contact person for the organization to this point. The focus for the Unity City Society of Prince Rupert is described as that of a volunteer, non-profit society that is looking to keep the needs of the city's homeless front and centre, while they seek solutions for them.

As part of their blue print moving forward, they are looking to continue to advocate for the homeless and to work towards the goal of finding permanent, emergency, supportive and affordable housing in the community.

On a Facebook page that they have created to provide updates for the community, the group notes that the Mayor had opportunity to attend one of their recent meetings to explore themes on the situation that the homeless face in the community.

Since they began their operations in November, the Society has been kept fairly busy, mostly through their efforts to deliver a daytime sober program for the city's homeless residents and to help them transition to other services that may be available in the community.

The group has also been quite happy to see a positive community response to their work so far, with a number of individuals and local businesses providing donations for the program, you can learn more about what they need and the progress of their work from their Facebook page.

For more items related to the housing situation in Prince Rupert and around the Northwest see our archive page here.

Housing has also become one of the major themes for Prince Rupert City Council, you can explore some of those themes from our City Council Archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review