Despite a large increase in visitors accessing their cold weather shelter, the Nicola Valley Shelter and Support Society’s provincial funding remains stagnant for 2015-16.

For the third year in a row, BC Housing will supply $34,000 to help the shelter stay operational through the winter.

“That’s still never enough to keep our doors open, we rely on independent donations from the community,” said newly minted shelter co-ordinator Amery Schultz.

BC Housing gives the shelter society about $300 per night up to a total of $34,000 per season, Schultz told the Herald.

He said his budgeted cost to operate the shelter per night is about $415.

“However, those are just budget figures, we spend more than that,” Schultz said, noting expenses such as electricity, food and emergency grants to their clientele.

“Although our expenses go up, that number stays the same,” Schultz said. “This is what drives our need for donations from the community.”

“With our staffing costs, our rent, our utilities, it adds up to a pretty penny,” he said.

The shelter’s funding from BC Housing hasn’t increased in three years, when it went up from $12,000.

While the funding remains static, the use of the shelter has been increasing.

Last season the cold weather shelter was accessed 923 times in 2014-15 with 507 overnight stays, up from the 617 times it was accessed in 2013-14, with 403 overnight guests.

Statistics prepared by the society state that 79 individuals stayed overnight at the shelter during the 2014-15 operating season, up from 64 in 2013-14.

The 2012-13 season served 66 people.

It cost approximately $54,000 to keep the facility open last season, Schultz told the Herald.

He said corporate and community donations helped cover the $20,000 gap last year, but due in part to funding constraints, the shelter closed earlier than expected. It was only open 126 days last season – about two weeks fewer than the previous year.

The shelter is located at 1937 Quilchena Avenue, and opens beginning Nov. 1 if the temperature drops below zero degrees celsius.

From December through February it is open seven days a week from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next day and reverts back to the below zero stipulation in March and close at the end of that month.

Schultz estimates it will cost in the neighbourhood of $60,000 this season.

He said the shelter hasn’t received any monetary community donations aside from a cheque he received from Collettville Elementary School.

“That’s not out of the norm, the dollars start trickling in once our doors open,” he said.