Cambridge women’s shelter over capacity since opening

With winter looming, the operators of the only emergency women’s shelter in Cambridge are worried their situation is only going to get worse.

Since opening in February 2025, the 20-bed shelter operated by YWCA Cambridge at Grace Bible Church in Galt has been at capacity.

YWCA Cambridge, CEO, Kim Decker, told 570 NewsRadio that after noticing how frequently staff were being forced to turn away clients, they started tracking the numbers.

“In the last eight weeks, we’ve had 77 requests for service that we have not been able to accommodate. That doesn’t mean 77 individual women, because some women may call back one or two days in a row. But, 77 requests for space we have not been able to accommodate.”

Decker said they really only have one option when turning someone away, and that’s connecting them with the women’s shelter at 84 Frederick St. in Kitchener.

“If they happen to be full, and normally they do have space, and we communicate quite often with them, but if they do not have space, we don’t have anywhere else to refer women to. So when we’re turning them away for a space, that means we’re releasing them to the streets.”

She said that’s a heartbreaking situation for staff who know full well what the realities of the situation are.

Decker said quite often, women living unhoused are also victims of violence.

“About 74 per cent of women experiencing homelessness also experience gender based violence on a weekly basis. They often choose to forego their basic needs to stay safe. So, whether that is staying with a friend or couch surfing or staying in encampments where people can’t find them, it is a way for them to maintain safety.”

Decker said when someone is staying with friends, bouncing from place to place, it’s called hidden homelessness because it’s out of sight of the public. She said that makes getting an accurate count of the number of women experiencing homelessness difficult, which impacts decision-making.

Decker went on to say they also face society stigma.

“Often we see women who are experiencing homelessness as less-than. And they’re not. They are as deserving as anyone else is to have a safe place to stay with the support that they need. And, I hope people realize that and understand some of the trauma that folks have been through and some of the very tough decisions they’ve had to make.”

Decker said the main focus of the YWCA Cambridge leadership team is to find a permanent location for the shelter that will allow for higher capacity.

Unfortunately, that does little to address the situation in the immediate.