House of Friendship temporarily shutting down emergency shelter

A closure that couldn't have come at a worse time.

The House of Friendship said they have to temporarily close their emergency shelter for the first time in 82 years because they don't have a location to have shelter services or their support model ShelterCare.

The shelter has been operating out of a hotel in Guelph since the fire at the Inn of Waterloo in February 2021 forced shelter occupants out.

Executive Director John Neufeld said in a release they have found a new location, but need the time to get the needed funding to finalize the sale.

“House of Friendship started actively working with government funders to secure the capital needed,” he said. “There is a lot of due diligence required to evaluate this important ask and unfortunately more time is needed that will result in the, hopefully temporary, closure.”

Neufeld said this process to find a permanent home has been “difficult and demoralizing,” adding this temporary loss will be devastating for both staff and those in the shelter system at a time where homelessness is at an all-time high.

A Point of Time Count report heading to Regional Council next week indicates 1,085 people in the region are experiencing homelessness of some kind (as of September).

Neufeld said they are working with the region to find arrangements for those displaced, and are also providing supports for staff members facing a temporary layoff.

The shutdown will come at the end of this month, at a time where the temperature is getting cooler with the winter months approaching.

Neufeld said as a community, we feel bad about winter hitting and impacting the region's most vulnerable, but added we need to get out of that cycle of thinking of them when it gets colder.

“This is our problem,” he said. “We can't just respond in the winter, and we need longer term, more permanent solutions all year round so we don't get into this cycle.”

He added the intent is to get the purchase of a new location finalized in January 2022, with the aim of getting operations back up in February 2022.

“Housing staff continue to work with House of Friendship and our local shelter providers to find permanent housing or secure spaces within our shelter system. This includes transportation from Guelph for the 75 men currently supported by the House of Friendship.” added Chris McEvoy, manager, housing policy and homelessness prevention, in an emailed statement.

Joan Fisk, CEO of United Way Waterloo Region Communities, also provided the following statement on Friday:

“We have become agile over the last 18 months. 

The awareness of homelessness is a broad shelter issue.

This is too big for one organization. House of Friendship, YWCA, OneRoof, and The Bridges shelter are all part of a network of supporting a very vulnerable population.

What we talk about is change at a systematic level and we are there to support all sorts of small organizations by feeding the mission around homelessness, and not the machine. 

We're advocating for more supportive and affordable housing in the community.”

We have heard from so many of you, wondering how you can help. Here is our response. https://t.co/JJbw1muPgA #WRAwesome #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/1KpQgabe4O

— House of Friendship (@hofwatreg) November 5, 2021