Alanna Kelly

Downtown Kelowna workers were shocked to see a homeless man leaving an empty underground utility box on Water Street, Friday.

The space is a few feet deep and about two metres in length, with a hatch covering the top. This became a residence for a homeless person to sleep in and store items, according to Teresa May, who works nearby.

Other workers in the area told May they too had seen a man coming and going from the underground box.

RCMP and bylaw arrived on the scene to pry open the door.

“When we opened that up, it looked like a coffin,” said May.

Numerous items were found in the space, including blankets, sleeping pads, pillows, bags of clothing and even a microwave oven.

“People should not be living in this kind of condition. It’s dangerous,” she said. “I don’t know if he can breathe. Maybe one day we’ll find a dead body in there.”

May said the hole is located directly in front of her office, and she can’t ignore what's happening.

“It is very sad, it brought tears to my eyes,” she said. “I can’t understand how we have people living like this in this kind of condition in Kelowna.”

She said she doesn’t know the solution to the homelessness crisis in Kelowna but hopes the community can work together to find it.