Construction is nearly finished on Waterloo Region’s first outdoor shelter.
Located on Erbs Road, the site will provide housing for up to 50 individuals, housed in separate cabins, with a projected move-in day by the end of the month.
The shelter will be staffed and managed by The Working Centre, with some services provided on site. There will also be a communal space on the property for use by those living there.
During a tour of the facility Thursday, The Working Centre's director, Joe Mancini, said as soon as the okay is given, they’ll begin moving individuals in to the units.
“When everything is finished on the site, we’re going to start,” he said. “If people want to move, we’re going to move them in.
While The Working Centre has spoken to the individuals living at encampments within the region, including the one at 150 Main St., not everyone at those locations will be moving to the shelter.
“We prioritized extending offers to those currently living in large unsanctioned encampments, but this is not an environment where people are going to be forced to come to,” Peter Sweeney, the region's commissioner of community services, said. “This is just one attempt, one part of the toolbox, to support those who are currently unsheltered.”
Mancini echoed Sweeney, adding that at least 18 people living at the 150 Main St. encampment are considering coming to the shelter, but that he expects the number who choose to relocate to Erbs Road from Cambridge may be closer to 12.
“We’ve been working really closely with offering that as an option,” he said.
While some services will be provided at the shelter, not everything can be done at the Erbs Road location. The Working Centre has a seven-passenger van that will allow the shelter’s residents to travel elsewhere in the cities for services, with the van making multiple trips per day.
“We’ll be able to take people to a dental appointment or a housing appointment, or whatever people need,” Mancini said. “That’s a relationship-building kind of thing, but it’s also practical because that’s what people need to get past the issues they’re dealing with.”
Some healthcare will also be provided at the shelter through the Inner City Health Alliance, with a nurse practitioner coming in five hours a week, while registered nurses will be available for 15 hours.
Mancini said the biggest support from the shelter comes in the way of food, laundry and other services they can provide to help those living there. He added that helping people connect back into the community is something they will also be focused on.
“These are not long-term places, this is a temporary place,” Mancini said. “And if somebody finds a place, moves on, then we’re opening up a place for someone else who doesn’t have a place to live.”
Sweeney said the shelter isn’t just about ending homelessness, noting that it’s a larger issue than can be solved by just a single shelter. He added that the shelter can provide a learning opportunity.
“This is something that this community hasn’t tried before, at least at the municipal level,” Sweeney said. “We’re going to do our best to support the people who want to come here in a dignified and compassionate way and we’re going to learn from this.”
