Cambridge women’s shelter delayed again as more spaces fill up

Since the shelter on Frederick Street for women experiencing homelessness closed last March, 43 of the women staying there are now staying at the King Street Shelter in Kitchener.

The 24/7 shelter hosts 100 beds for men and women. It’s operated by the Working Centre whose director, Joe Mancini, told 570 NewsRadio it means more men are on the street as they have fewer beds available.

“It’s 60 per cent women at King Street so we have more women than men for sure, and that’s been in response to the YW Shelter closing,” said Mancini. “There’s a serious shortage of shelter beds for men and women in Waterloo Region.”

The King Street Shelter started prioritizing women last year due to the closing of the shelter at 84 Frederick St. that was run by YW Kitchener-Waterloo before being sold to the region. The other shelter the Working Centre operates, Erbs Road Shelter, has an equal mix of men and women experiencing homelessness staying there.

“We’re 100 per cent full all the time, we’re turning away people every night, every day and we’re overcapacity on top of that,” said Mancini.

It comes as the 20-bed emergency shelter for women is delayed again in Cambridge. The CEO of YWCA Cambridge, Kim Decker, told 570 NewsRadio in a statement that “renovations are taking longer than expected and that is what is contributing to the delay.”

They still have no opening date set but now anticipate that shelter to open by the end of January.

“It’s very difficult for the region to establish such sites, it’s expensive, it costs the region budget and it’s hard to find a place where neighbours will allow such places to exist but they’re absolutely necessary because you have a situation in January in frigid cold weather where people are outside without options,” said Mancini.

The shelter on Frederick Street, funded by the Region of Waterloo and operated by Services and Housing in the Province (SHIP) opened back up to offer 37 emergency beds for women and gender-diverse individuals Dec. 19. A spokesperson for SHIP told 570 NewsRadio that they have capacity to add 7 additional beds during extreme cold or emergencies.

“While there is active construction elsewhere on the property, the indoor space where the program operates has been fully renovated and meets all accessibility standards and requirements, ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for all participants.”