The organization bringing a temporary emergency women's shelter to Cambridge assured city councillors it won't lead to the same problems that have spilled into neighbourhoods in other parts of the region.
YWCA Cambridge CEO Kim Decker appeared before council Tuesday to give an update on the organization's effort to transform the basement space at Grace Bible Church into a 20-bed emergency women's shelter before winter.
The organization is getting $1.4 million from the Region of Waterloo through its Plan to End Chronic Homelessness to build, staff and furnish the space in the Queen's Square church for an indefinite term.
It will serve a need that has been recognized in Cambridge for more than a decade and which the YWCA and other social service organizations spent more than two years exploring to find the best way to serve unhoused women in the community, Decker said.
That collaborative study, called Project Willow, found that about three quarters of unhoused women experienced violence on a weekly basis and because of that avoid traditional shelter spaces.
Over the last year, the YWCA has been working to change that, consulting with experts, other social service agencies and politicians to integrate a women's shelter into the current system and fill service gaps in Cambridge, she said.
When the region sought community projects aimed at responding to homelessness last fall, work began in Cambridge to find a space to house the first dedicated women's shelter in the region.
Decker said Grace Bible Church offered their space because they shared the same desire to ensure unsheltered women in Cambridge wouldn't have to suffer through another winter with no place to go.
Collaboration and consultation since last fall included two lunch and learns attended by more than 200 people.
"We worked with our community partners to develop a different kind of homeless shelter model," Decker said. "We knew if we were going to go ahead, we wanted to develop a model of service built on best practices and one that took into consideration the trauma facing women experiencing homelessness."
Once approval came in August, Decker said the YWCA began communicating with all levels of government, school boards and the community surrounding Grace Bible, including businesses and residents.
The mayor and regional chair were consulted before the formal announcement and that communication went out to all church members, media and council.
A mail drop went out to everyone within a 500 metre radius of the church, she said.
"We were pleasantly surprised to receive absolutely no complaints, no angry letters opposing this temporary shelter. Instead there has been a groundswell of support."
The model for the shelter is 24-7, meaning, unlike all other shelters in the region, single women won't have to leave each morning and return for dinner and bedtime. It will have built-in services more akin to transitional housing from service providers like Porchlight Counselling, Langs, Sanguen and the Aids Committee of Cambridge Kitchener Waterloo and Area.
Women will have access to physical and mental health services, employment and life-skills programming and other therapeutic programs.
Coun. Adam Cooper remains skeptical and said he doesn't believe enough stakeholders were informed, including the church congregation itself.
He told Decker he's supportive of the women's shelter, "we need one," but was upset to learn about it from the media. He wondered why council wasn't consulted from the beginning like they were in Kitchener.
"We have the community here that is dealing a lot with the fallout for mismanaged shelters and we're trying to sort that out as opposed to add to it and I'm very concerned that what I'm seeing here is really not that much different than The Bridges model and we're going to be making things worse despite the good goals," he said.
He fears it will create an unsafe environment for the women it intends to protect because, if it's like other regional shelters, "substance use is going to be allowed on site."
Cooper wants to see harm reduction supports eliminated from the plan and wanted assurances from Decker that no drug use would be allowed inside the shelter.
"It is a completely different model under which current emergency shelters operate," Decker said.
Substance use won't be allowed inside, but the operators aren't so naive as to think it won't happen, she said.
"We're just going to be sure that our staff is trained and prepared to deal with it if it does."
Outreach organization Sanguen will be invited to park its community health van near the shelter to provide harm reduction supports like needles and inhaling devices along with medical services.
Mayor Jan Liggett expressed concern with that, citing provincial legislation that prevents shelter spaces from handing out harm reduction supplies. She said Sanguen will have to go through the city if they want to park their van on city streets.
Coun. Corey Kimpson echoed some of Cooper's concerns, bringing up "the elephant in the room" and the city's "unfortunate" experience with other shelters.
She wanted to know what the YWCA would be doing differently to prevent people from hanging around the shelter and doing "things that upset people" in the community.
Decker reiterated that their model won't force women to leave the shelter during the day. Embedded services in the shelter will include a mental health and addiction counsellor, an outreach worker, a transition worker and a community developer, all the supports women need move through the shelter into affordable housing.
To ensure safety, a "very expensive, sophisticated security system" will be installed in the shelter and security guards will be present for about 35 hours a week during peak use times at the church.
Coun. Mike Devine praised Decker for her work as a leader in this community.
"If Kim's going to stand up and say what she said today, each and every one of you in this building can take that to the bank," he said.
Coun. Scott Hamilton agreed, saying he has great faith in the YWCA's ability to execute the women's shelter to a level that satisfies the surrounding community.
He thanked everyone that helped make the women's shelter a reality and for bridging a "tremendous gap in Cambridge" to serve women experiencing hidden homelessness.
"It is our duty as elected public officials to try and help the most vulnerable in our community, those that are in the greatest need, and we're finding they are women experiencing homelessness," Hamilton said
Council's support lets residents know that the city cares about this extremely marginalized and hidden population, he said, urging continued support for any organization helping people experiencing such a horrible crisis.
"We're a city of care and compassion and support and I think shelters and organizations like this are a testament to that."
