The Grande Prairie Sunrise House Youth Emergency Shelter has officially opened its doors at its new location.
The spacious brand-new facility has been in the work for years and boasts an impressive lineup of amenities, housing options, and more for its residents.
Sunrise House Board President Sean Doerkson describes the new building as a worthwhile endeavor, saying the years-long process of opening its doors has already proven to be a success.
“It’s very exciting, and I’m very proud of the community that stepped up and provided the funding and the support so we’re able to offer this to the youth in our region,” he says.
More than $4.5 million in funding went into the project provided by the County and City of Grande Prairie, the MD of Greenview, and the province.
Doerkson describes the original shelter as being simply too small for the needs of the community, and he says the most noticeable change is the sheer size of the new facility.
“The biggest thing is the size, the capacity, at the original shelter, there was room for ten beds, emergency shelter beds.”
The new facility features room for 24 youth on its emergency shelter floor, with an additional 11 transitional housing suites available for youth to rent to support their transition into adulthood.
“Once those youth have maybe made some connections and are not in need of emergency housing anymore or ready to transition to adults in the community, they’re able to rent their own spot and just help them make those connections and prepare them for the real world,” Doerkson says.
Currently, nine of eleven suites are rented out, and Doerkson says rental prices are purposefully chosen, to reflect the current rental prices in Grande Prairie.
“That’s so that they’re not shocked, not surprised when they get out in the real world,” he says.
Despite the ask, Doerkson maintains that subsidies are available for renters at the Sunrise House to support the transition for residents.
Doerkson also spoke on the future of the Sunrise House as it continues to utilize the new facility, saying the organization’s new home aligns with the ultimate goal of eliminating adult homelessness in Grande Prairie.
“A lot of these youth, there could be various reasons they show up at the shelter or find their way here, and it’s really just providing the supports, getting them connected with the right people in the community,” he says. “Whether it ends up that we work with child and family services or with the family and get the youth back with the family, it’s just really providing them that hope.”
The Sunrise House is open to any youth who is in need; however, a screening process is in place to ensure the protection of staff and residents in the building.
“First and foremost we’re here to provide safety, so to provide safety to the youth that shows up at the shelter, to provide safety for the youth and staff that are here, but for the most part we’re here to help the youth,” Doerkson says.
Construction on the new facility began in 2022, and was finally completed in April of this year.