Homeless shelters facing more pressure due to recent cold snap
Posted Jan 30, 2019 09:30:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As temperatures continue to fall, most homeless shelters have begun working at full capacity.
Waterloo Region's Manager of Housing Programs, Jennifer Murdoch-Martin, says they have added an additional 45 spaces to their original 195 adult capacity.
“There is high need right now. We have moved folks into motels to create space. We want to make sure that there is some on-site capacity in our shelter system, so we make sure that during the day, we move folks around. In the evening, if new clients are coming into the shelter system, then we have space available for them.”
She says capacity pressures tend to increase every winter.
“We opened another overflow to create space for anyone wishing to come into the shelter system. Homelessness is an issue that is part of our community that we are addressing through a number of different programs. Our shelter system is one of them and our affordable housing and supportive housing program is how we are managing the issue.”
She says the solution to needing more space in the shelter system is to increase the outflow capacity.
“There's a number of programs in our community to provide additional, affordable housing in the region, including different rent supports and different landlord recruitement strategies that are in place right now to find more safe affordable housing, and to create and build new affordable housing.”
She says the region is looking to recruit about 200 new spaces in their affordable housing system.
Click here for a list of warming centres in the region.
