The City of Vancouver has yet to hear if it will get provincial funding for its emergency cold weather shelters, according to Coun. Kerry Jang.

Many of the city's 13,000 shelter beds run throughout the year, but about 200 temporary extreme weather shelters open up in the colder winter months.

Jang says those can't open without provincial money, because each of the emergency beds costs roughly $2,500 dollars per month to operate.

"They're just very, very expensive and partnerships are the best way. Actually, the shelters are really a provincial responsibility and we've partnered up to make it happen," Jang told CBC Radio on Wednesday morning.

Jang says operators are tired of having to wait until the last minute each fall to find out from provincial officials in Victoria if the program will get funding.

"Every year we've had to wait until the very bitter end when the snow starts to fly before we get an actual response ... I don't know what the delay is," said Jang.

"But that really puts us in a tough space because the demand is growing now and the non-profits who run our cold winter shelters are waiting.

"They're actually saying, 'Are we doing it? We're ready to go. We have everything ready. We do need to know soon because we have to hire staff, do some training.'"