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Waterloo region’s response to homelessness is getting a boost from the province in the form of $8.5 million in seed money to purchase and transform a former Waterloo hotel into a 100-bed homeless shelter for men.
Expected to open this spring, the emergency housing centre will be located at the former Comfort Inn at 190 Weber Street North and will be operated by the House of Friendship.
Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris delivered the announcement Wednesday morning along with area mayors and Regional Chair Karen Redman, who thanked the province for helping the region address the urgent issue of homelessness in the community.
She said any further costs related to the acquisition of the property, as well as ongoing operational costs, will be covered by the region.
Renovations are expected to take several months.
The announcement comes two months after the House of Friendship announced it would have to temporarily close its emergency shelter in Kitchener, displacing about 70 men.
It was the first such closure in the 82-year history of the House of Friendship which operates an addiction treatment centre on Concession Road in Cambridge and provides food, housing and neighbourhood support to individuals and families.
The men were temporarily housed at a hotel in Guelph before 26 transitional housing beds reopened at the former House of Friendship shelter at 63 Charles Street in Kitchener at the end of November.
The former hotel was being used by Reception House to house Afghan refugees prior to the sale. They have since moved out to more permanent housing.
House of Friendship executive director John Neufeld said due to confidentiality around the real estate transaction, community outreach on the project couldn’t happen until the announcement was public.
Volunteers were busy immediately following the announcement distributing 600 letters to neighbours of the property.
In the letter, Neufeld explains the purpose of the facility in addressing homelessness, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
“With nearly 1,100 individuals experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region, creative solutions like ShelterCare play a critical role in the range of supports needed to address this community crisis,” Neufeld writes.
"We have seen incredible progress with this model in serving individuals who have faced a very difficult journey in life and need significant support. We also know that the move of this type of housing to your neighbourhood may cause concern. We are committed to being good neighbours, and are here to listen and create solutions together."
Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky applauded the project and the province’s investment, calling the ShelterCare model an “innovative, compassionate” way to deliver support and help people get back on their feet and into permanent housing.”
“I know our caring community will work together with House of Friendship team to make this as successful as possible.”
The ShelterCare model at 190 Weber St. N. will provide a range of wraparound support services, including mental health counselling, addictions treatment and in-house programming like art and music therapy.
The location is also close to public transportation, the Waterloo campus of Conestoga College just up the street, and job opportunities, said a release.
The House of Friendship’s new Waterloo ShelterCare centre will be the first permanent facility for the homeless population in that city, but will address the needs of unsheltered individuals region wide.
Four emergency shelters operate in Kitchener, and Cambridge Shelter Corp operates a 75-bed shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness at The Bridges in Galt.
It’s estimated that about 150 homeless individuals are also living rough in Cambridge, in encampments or tents.
They are among the estimated 400 living rough throughout Waterloo region.
“As we know, the experience of homelessnessness is quite fluid across the three major cities and four rural townships in Waterloo region,” said manager of housing services for the region Chris McEvoy, explaining how the region’s response to homelessness is a coordinated approach and not weighted differently in any one community.
The region works with community health partners to establish fall and winter overflow strategies and plans, including a number of temporary emergency shelters to meet increased demand over the colder months.
During the pandemic, that “adaptive” response has been similar in providing isolation beds for the homeless population.
The region is currently working with Cambridge Shelter Corp to provide temporary COVID isolation shelter spaces at the former Kiwanis Children’s Centre on Concession Road.
That site is equipped with Infection Prevention And Control (IPAC) measures outlined by public health for congregate settings.
McEvoy said the site was seen as a necessary measure since it wasn’t possible to isolate individuals on site at the Bridges.
The facility will not only help individuals recover from COVID and continue with a housing plan to find permanent affordable housing, but it will also protect the larger community from exposure, McEvoy said.
In Waterloo, isolation spaces could be provided on site if necessary.
“If somebody is unsheltered and is afflicted by homelessness and has no address I'm their mayor, Berry's their mayor, Kathryn's their mayor," said Jaworsky. "We need to help everyone. We need to do whatever's possible."
