Burnaby - Gilmore Diversion

Aerial view of BC Housing site at Gilmore Diversion and Manor Street in Burnaby, marked with a green location pin and labels.


BC Housing recently purchased the two-storey office building at 3020 Gilmore Diversion. We are planning to create a new permanent shelter at this site.

The need

The latest Point-in-Time Homeless Count identified 209 people experiencing homelessness in Burnaby.

HOME: Burnaby’s housing and homelessness strategy and the final report of the Mayor’s Task Force on Unsheltered Community Members also highlighted the need for more shelter spaces in Burnaby.

Shelters provide an important step in a person’s transition out of homelessness and into stable housing. Opening more shelters also means there will be fewer people sheltering outdoors in Burnaby. This will improve cleanliness and safety in the community overall.

The new shelter

The new shelter at 3020 Gilmore Diversion will host up to 80 semi-private sleeping pods across two floors. There will also be staff offices, indoor amenity space and programming space.

The City of Burnaby does not require rezoning for this use. We are renovating the building and expect to open the shelter in spring 2026.

The new shelter will be open 24/7, year-round. It will provide safe, secure spaces and supports for shelter guests and help connect them to permanent housing and community-based services.

BC Housing will select a non-profit operator through a fair and open process to operate the new shelter. We will reach out to neighbours again in the fall of 2025 to introduce the shelter operator.

The operator will have staff on site 24/7 to manage the building and provide services to shelter guests. Support services will typically include meals, storage, laundry, and washroom and shower facilities.

There will also be safety and security features for the benefit of shelter guests as well as the surrounding community. These include:

  • Staffing: Staff will be onsite 24/7 and be available to respond directly to any concerns that arise in a timely manner
  • Design features: The new shelter will incorporate Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design practices, such as fenced grounds, access control, security cameras and lighting
  • Perimeter checks: Staff will conduct regular sweeps of the property and immediate area to ensure cleanliness

Connect with us

A caring community can contribute greatly to the success of shelter guests on their journey into stable housing. BC Housing will keep lines of communication open throughout this project.

There will be no public hearing relating to land use for this project, as no rezoning is required. We will nevertheless make ourselves available to answer questions and hear any concerns.

Online information session

We are inviting interested neighbours to join us at an online information session to learn more about the project, meet the BC Housing team and ask questions.

Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Time: 5:30 – 7:00pm

Location: Zoom (link shared with registrants)

Format: Short presentation followed by a facilitated Q&A

Details: Maximum 50 participants per session. Online registration is required. If interest exceeds session capacity, we will schedule additional sessions. A recording of the presentation will be posted on this page within 2 weeks of session.

RSVP: burnaby-gilmore-diversion.eventbrite.ca

We also welcome questions and comments by email to communityrelations@bchousing.org.


BC Housing recently purchased the two-storey office building at 3020 Gilmore Diversion. We are planning to create a new permanent shelter at this site.

The need

The latest Point-in-Time Homeless Count identified 209 people experiencing homelessness in Burnaby.

HOME: Burnaby’s housing and homelessness strategy and the final report of the Mayor’s Task Force on Unsheltered Community Members also highlighted the need for more shelter spaces in Burnaby.

Shelters provide an important step in a person’s transition out of homelessness and into stable housing. Opening more shelters also means there will be fewer people sheltering outdoors in Burnaby. This will improve cleanliness and safety in the community overall.

The new shelter

The new shelter at 3020 Gilmore Diversion will host up to 80 semi-private sleeping pods across two floors. There will also be staff offices, indoor amenity space and programming space.

The City of Burnaby does not require rezoning for this use. We are renovating the building and expect to open the shelter in spring 2026.

The new shelter will be open 24/7, year-round. It will provide safe, secure spaces and supports for shelter guests and help connect them to permanent housing and community-based services.

BC Housing will select a non-profit operator through a fair and open process to operate the new shelter. We will reach out to neighbours again in the fall of 2025 to introduce the shelter operator.

The operator will have staff on site 24/7 to manage the building and provide services to shelter guests. Support services will typically include meals, storage, laundry, and washroom and shower facilities.

There will also be safety and security features for the benefit of shelter guests as well as the surrounding community. These include:

  • Staffing: Staff will be onsite 24/7 and be available to respond directly to any concerns that arise in a timely manner
  • Design features: The new shelter will incorporate Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design practices, such as fenced grounds, access control, security cameras and lighting
  • Perimeter checks: Staff will conduct regular sweeps of the property and immediate area to ensure cleanliness

Connect with us

A caring community can contribute greatly to the success of shelter guests on their journey into stable housing. BC Housing will keep lines of communication open throughout this project.

There will be no public hearing relating to land use for this project, as no rezoning is required. We will nevertheless make ourselves available to answer questions and hear any concerns.

Online information session

We are inviting interested neighbours to join us at an online information session to learn more about the project, meet the BC Housing team and ask questions.

Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Time: 5:30 – 7:00pm

Location: Zoom (link shared with registrants)

Format: Short presentation followed by a facilitated Q&A

Details: Maximum 50 participants per session. Online registration is required. If interest exceeds session capacity, we will schedule additional sessions. A recording of the presentation will be posted on this page within 2 weeks of session.

RSVP: burnaby-gilmore-diversion.eventbrite.ca

We also welcome questions and comments by email to communityrelations@bchousing.org.

Page published: 14 Apr 2025, 11:51 AM