Riverview Hospital isn't the best place for a temporary homeless shelter, Coquitlam city council said this week.

On Monday, council voted 5-3 against asking the provincial government to open an empty building on the aging hospital grounds this winter, citing the cost for renovations, the location from the Coquitlam River and risk of interfering with patients.

Its decision comes as the city fires a letter this week to Rich Coleman, B.C.'s housing minister, criticizing the delayed funding by BC Housing for two Coquitlam projects: a permanent emergency shelter for the homeless at 3030 Gordon Ave. and a YWCA facility for single mothers and their children at 528 Como Lake Ave.

The letter, signed by Mayor Richard Stewart, doesn't request a Riverview building be opened as recommended by the city's land use committee, which is steered by Coun. Lou Sekora.

"The buildings are old," Stewart countered. "They have to be brought up to code," adding, if one is, it would likely be turned into a permanent homeless shelter and "this is a can of worms that I don't think needs to be opened."

Coun. Barrie Lynch said the provincial government has indicated it's not willing to fund any renovations for a shelter at Riverview. As well, service agencies like the Tri-City Homelessness Task Force aren't in favour of a Riverview site, he said.

Committee member Coun. Selina Robinson, who opposed a Riverview back-up, cautioned a Riverview homeless shelter may put current patients on treatment at risk.

Still, other homeless shelters in Vancouver and New Westminster aren't up to code, committee member Coun. Mae Reid argued. And the Tri-Cities is in an urgent situation with around 200 homeless people and six churches rolling out their cold/wet weather mat programs, she said. "We always seem to be sitting in the back here and that upsets me," Reid said.

Coun. Fin Donnelly agreed. "Riverview may not be the ideal location but neither are the churches," he said. "We can't continue to rely on our churches."

Jim McIntyre, Coquitlam's general manager of planning, said he's been in preliminary talks with the Hope for Freedom Society, which is now gearing up the five Tri-City churches and its volunteers for the mat program, which is due to start Nov. 1 at St. Andrew's United Church in Port Moody (the program will also run once a month at Coquitlam's Eagle Ridge United, Coquitlam Alliance and Calvary Baptist churches as well as the Northside Foursquare Church in PoCo, if needed).

The cities of PoCo and PoMo have rezoned in perpetuity the participating church lands while Coquitlam has to go through its rezoning process as city council only designated their church lands for two years.

Meanwhile, Janet Austin, CEO of YWCA in Vancouver, told The Tri-City News of its Como Lake Avenue project: "There's no doubt in my mind that the province is supporting it. We know that it will happen... These are challenging times."

jwarren@tricitynews.com