City to look at emergency shelter options

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The city is looking at how to house those now using the temporary winter shelter when it closes on April 30.

“We need a plan to transition these folks somewhere so they don’t end up on the street,” Coun. Dan McCreary, who is chair of the social services committee, said at a meeting on Wednesday.

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The winter warming centre located in the former police station on Greenwich Street has been well used since it opened on Dec. 2 after the city’s two homeless shelters – at Rosewood House on Nelson Street and the Salvation Army Booth Centre on Dalhousie Street – were filled to capacity and turned people away on a cold night last October.

Susan Evenden, the city’s director of social assistance and homelessness, said from 35 to 42 people stayed overnight at the winter shelter last week.

McCreary said the city has a responsibility both to people who need care and to the neighbourhood so that those who are homeless “don’t end up inhabiting parks” in the spring.

Shortly after the Greenwich Street shelter opened, city officials removed a tented community known as the Welcome Love encampment at Shallow Creek Park.

“Our numbers started to rise when the encampment was removed,” said Tim Philp, executive director of Rosewood House, who is also operating the winter shelter. “There have been times when we’ve had upwards of 50 people in the shelter on cold nights.”

It only took a week of operation before councillors, grappling with an unprecedented homelessness issue in the city, decided to extend the hours of the winter shelter, making it a 24-hour operation. The total cost to run the facility from December to April is about $700,000. It costs the city about $1.4 million annually to operate its year-round shelter system.

“One of the things a lot of people don’t realize is that some of the people who are homeless work and some work at night,” said Philp of those using the winter shelter. “They had nowhere to go during the day. Now they do.”

On Wednesday, the social services committee directed city staff to bring back a report in March looking at short-term options to increase emergency sheltering and a second report, in December, which will include medium- and long-term emergency sheltering strategies and their costs.

Coun. Rick Weaver said the Greenwich Street building, which is for sale, may not be available.

The social services committee also agreed to have staff draft a letter from the city and Brant County advocating for more funding for social housing, and mental health and addiction issues.

Aaron Wallace, acting general manager of health and human services, said core challenges for the homeless population are mental health and addiction and treatment for both is underfunded.

Philp said the community, including local faith groups, have stepped up to help those using the winter shelter, which has no cooking facilities or food program.

“I had expected we would receive some support from the community but what we’ve been getting in terms of food, appliances and volunteers is way beyond my expectations,” he said.  “The community has really opened up its arms and its heart to these people.”

Noting that the city can’t continue to raise taxes to pay for homeless shelters, Coun. Joshua Wall asked if private citizens could make financial contributions toward the cause.

Wallace said the city has a donation policy and organizations and citizens can be issued a tax receipt.

A report from Wallace said that despite interventions by city staff, the Salvation Army, the Addiction Services Initiative, the RAAM Clinic, detox centres and Wesley Urban Ministries, the length of shelter stays is increasing.

But Philp said staff are working hard to help connect people with the help they need.

“We’re still learning but I think we’ve come a long way.”