Petition pushing for temporary emergency shelters in the region gaining traction

A petition circulating online is urging the region to take action and create a new temporary shelter until a permanent one can be completed after the YWCA of Kitchener-Waterloo announced in March it would be closing the women’s shelter in downtown Kitchener by the end of June.

The shelter at 84 Frederick St. serviced women and gender-diverse individuals experiencing homelessness.

A spokesperson for the YWCA told CityNews Kitchener in an email, “Since announcing our closure, which is slated for June 30, we have been working with the Region of Waterloo and our system partners to find alternative housing options for the clients in our emergency shelter. No one will be without a safe place to stay.”

The petition states that as of May, the shelter is no longer accepting any more individuals.

The spokesperson did not comment on that matter when asked.

So far, the petition has over 300 signatures since it started on May 13. The petition urges the region to create interim emergency shelters for women, transgender women and non-binary people.

Most of the shelters in the region are strictly for men.

The YWCA KW has been operating a shelter on Frederick Street since 1914, it was known originally as ‘Mary’s Place.’ It became an emergency shelter in the 1970s when the federal government deinstitutionalized programs, preferring community care.

In a media release from March, the YWCA said they are planning for a new model of care. They aim to open several shelter spaces that could help with different issues for people experiencing homelessness.

When asked if a plan for a permanent shelter is underway or what locations they are looking at, the spokesperson did not comment.

The King Street Shelter is known for being co-ed, and gender diverse but is also known for being at full capacity.

Shelters for women fleeing violence are still operating but for people who don’t fit that description, there are few to no options until a new permanent shelter is established.

The petition reads, “There are now zero women’s shelters accepting new clients in Waterloo Region to provide emergency shelter to cis and trans women and non-binary people who are not fleeing intimate partner violence. Women and non-binary individuals experiencing homelessness are now faced with a stark reality: they are either turned away from emergency shelters or offered the only alternative of staying in a co-ed shelter.”

It adds, “Regrettably, many don’t feel safe with this only option.”

They point towards problems found in a study called ‘Don’t Tell Them You’re Homeless,’ which was released by Waterloo Region organizations that interviewed people who have accessed shelters, like the one on Frederick St. in the past.

The study found that 92 per cent of all participants experienced violence daily or weekly and that 73 per cent have avoided co-ed shelter services due to safety concerns. The link for that study is now inactive.

This is a developing story with more updates expected.