Still no new home for Carol’s Place drop-in
Carol’s Place, a gathering place for homeless people, is still searching for a new location since its eviction from Peterborough Square mall in January.
“We can’t find a place that’s affordable,” said Janet Wilkins, a volunteer for Carol’s Place, in an interview Tuesday. “It kind of breaks my heart — this is the time of year we should be there for our friends.”
Carol’s Place — which is named for the late Carol Winter, a noted advocate for the marginalized — is a relatively new gathering place for people experiencing homelessness.
It offered a place for people to gather during the early-morning and early-evening hours, when shelters and the One Roof Community Diner (which feeds the hungry for free) are closed.
It opened in August in Peterborough Square in a space vacated by the Peterborough Social Planning Council.
By Jan. 5, Carol’s Place was forced out; the space had been rented to another tenant.
But then Carol’s Place got city funding, later in the month, when council voted to give the centre $25,000 during 2019 budget talks.
Yet Carol’s Place still lacks a space, as of this week.
A 1,500-square-foot space in downtown or nearby is needed, Wilkins said.
They’ve tried churches, Wilkins said, but many rent out their spaces during the day and evening. They’ve tried landlords, she said, and although they’ve been “sympathetic” there’s still nothing large and affordable enough.
“It’s tricky right now — there isn’t a lot that’s available,” Wilkins said. “I’m looking every day — and I’m running out of people to call.”
In the meantime, Wilkins said, the Warming Room shelter and One Roof extended their hours during the recent extreme cold weather.
NOTE: Anyone who would like to get in touch with Carol’s Place organizers is asked to use the Facebook page at facebook.com/carolsplace247