Reprieve for men staying at Street Help homeless centre continued Monday

A temporary reprieve continued Monday for men sleeping at the Street Help homeless centre to avoid the extreme cold, but the fire department warned that likely won’t last for long.

“There’s been no further action yet,” said fire prevention officer John Lee. “There will be, but there hasn’t been anything since (Friday). In the short term we’re allowing them to operate temporarily.”

Fire officials ordered Street Help to stop allowing people to stay overnight on Friday, one of the coldest days of the winter thus far.

Street Help, at 964 Wyandotte St. E., isn’t a shelter, but allows men living on the streets to stay there during extremely cold weather.

The fire department said the centre isn’t a licensed lodging home and doesn’t have a fire safety plan, emergency procedures, fire protection systems or trained staff. Officials were also concerned that people were being locked inside.

When Street Help refused to kick people out, the fire department agreed to a temporary reprieve if the centre brought in volunteers to stay overnight and keep an eye on things. The volunteers also received basic fire and evacuation training.

Street Help director Christine Wilson-Furlonger said the fire department also asked the centre to outfit its doors with panic bars. The bars lock from the outside but allow people on the inside to push the door open in an emergency.

Wilson-Furlonger said Street Help has a locksmith on the job.

Lee said Monday afternoon he didn’t know when the fire department or the city might take further action to stop the centre from allowing homeless men to stay there.

Whenever the order comes, said Wilson-Furlonger, the centre will defy it. She said Street Help, like many churches offering a place to stay, doesn’t have to be licensed to offer emergency shelter.

“If they come and say our people have to leave, we’re going to say no,” said Wilson-Furlonger. “We’re just not going to do it. We’re not going to leave them out in the cold. They’ve threatened to fine us. They can fine us, they can take us to court and we can let a judge decide.”