The heads of two local shelters say they are grateful to have another two weeks worth of funding to run an essential hotel shelter program in Barrie, but are concerned what will happen on the other side of those 14 days.
Local shelter operators learned July 14 that they had been given another two-week funding extension, which will allow them to continue the emergency hotel shelter program operating at the Travelodge in Barrie until July 31. The funding was originally set to end June 30, but had previously been granted a two-week extension that would have given them until July 15 to transition back to their home emergency shelter locations.
Elizabeth Fry Society Simcoe Muskoka executive director Meaghan Chambers told BarrieToday on Friday that with 37 individuals still accessing shelter at the Bayfield Street hotel, she is “extremely grateful” for another temporary reprieve.
That said, the lack of a solution come the end of the month is concerning, she acknowledged.
“We are working with the county and the City of Barrie to try to come up with some sort of solution, but until that is solidified, it’s really unsettling for us not to have something confirmed for Aug. 1," she said.
Chambers added they are hopeful for a solution to present itself over the next two weeks, and are working strongly with various community partners and housing groups, as well as Ontario Works, to get as many individuals who are accessing shelter right now into housing in the hopes they can create space at its base location.
“Right now, our home location is at 100 per cent capacity and as women are discharging out of our home location, we are triaging and bringing individuals with the highest need into our home location from the Travelodge location," she said.
Chambers says she would love to see investment from both the provincial and federal governments into accessible housing solutions that are affordable, subsidized and supported for vulnerable individuals in the community.
“Marginalized women and gender-diverse individuals experiencing homelessness face a multitude of increased safety risks including disproportionate rates of physical and sexual violence, human trafficking and are often struggling with tri-morbidity factors like mental health issues, physical health or disability that reduce safety when in the community or when unsheltered and unhoused," she said.
Busby Centre executive director Sara Peddle told BarrieToday the funding extension is welcomed, but she's still frustrated at the lack of a sustainable solution.
“The need is still very apparent. We are in a housing crisis and, unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot of outflow to housing right now," she said. "We are still working with the county and the city on finding a solution, but the days just keep ticking away and it’s very disheartening.”
Peddle admitted that, as an organization, the Busby Centre is feeling "overwhelmed."
“We are part of some conversations with the county and the city, but we don’t have any tangible solutions that we are aware of at this point. We know there are still some being worked on… but we don’t have any of those details," she said. “We are feeling a little bit overwhelmed that way. We are trying to keep staff and it’s very challenging right now to get staff as it is but also to keep staff within those programs we have right now.
"If there’s not going to be another location, they need to look after their needs," Peddle added. "We are trying to keep that stable enough so we can continue to run the programs we do have going.”
Peddle also noted the organization is having conversations with as many different people as possible, thinking outside the box as it were, and working with the city and the county when ideas do present themselves.
“Even though it’s two weeks, (it’s) two weeks without a tangible solution already on hand. We’d still need to set that new program up even if we do find a space. We are concerned. We are very concerned that we might not have something for post July 31," she said.
