Niagara adds 90 shelter spaces
Region steps up program so no one is left out in the cold
Niagara Region is adding 90 new homeless shelter beds this winter and increasing staffing levels in hopes that no one will be forced to face the cold weather without shelter.
The Region’s homelessness services director Cathy Cousins said department staff have been “working really hard for several weeks now with our fabulous shelter agencies,” developing plans to assist homeless people during the winter, despite limitations agencies face while working to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“These guys have just really stepped up,” she said, referring to the efforts of local agencies contracted to support the homeless.
Before the pandemic hit late last winter, she said, Niagara had 256 shelter beds available.
“This winter, we will have 90 more spaces — a 35 per cent increase,” she said. “We’re pretty excited about that.”
Achieving that increase was substantially more difficult because of the pandemic and its social distancing requirements.
“This COVID overlay is a challenge,” she said.
“Public health (staff) has been part of this all along, to make sure that our social distancing, the cleaning, and training of all the staff to make sure they understand how to do a screening, what kind of cleaning protocols — all of that is being taken care of.”
She said several of the added beds are the result of increased use of hotel rooms to accommodate people. As well, the 30bed isolation facility set up in Niagara Falls during the summer to give people a place to stay while protecting them from the virus will continue running throughout the winter.
Cousins said five new emergency beds were added, catering to clients with complex concerns such as people with health issues who are being discharged from hospitals and need more than just a place to stay.
Apilot program which was set up to help “really high-needs chronically homeless clients” will be expanded as well, to 25 beds from 12, as of Nov. 1.
On the same day, Out of the Cold programs will resume in St. Catharines and Niagara
Falls, which will also increase its capacity by about five beds.
Meanwhile, the outreach team established during the summer will continue as well, “to make sure that anybody who doesn’t choose to come in is still fully supported and encouraged to come in.”
Cousins said additional staff are being brought in to accommodate the expanded programs, rather than relying on volunteers.
“We are trying to keep volunteers to a minimum, just because of the COVID risks that are associated with that.”
She said the program expansion was primarily made possible with $1.7 million in federal funding that was provided to the Region, with additional funding expected from the province.
“We’re still waiting to hear our final allotment from the provincial government.”
Cousins said all Niagara’s agencies that were involved “stepped up” to meet the additional demands on resources.
While providing short-term stays in the shelters, Cousins said, staff also work with clients to help them find long-term housing.
“We’re still focusing on getting you housed,” she said.
That can include working with landlords and Niagara Regional Housing, or in some cases helping clients rebuild relationships with family members.
She said the Region has also expanded efforts to help chronically homeless clients, adding 10 supportive-housing beds to its Home for Good program.