Coffee house opens overnight for homeless turned away from shelters

A daytime coffee house for homeless Londoners has begun opening at night for up to 15 people at a time to sit, get warm and have some soup and a hot beverage.

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The night-time drop-in at the London Coffee House is a new element to the city’s annual winter response to homelessness, and a recognition many shelters don’t have the space or flexibility for welcoming people at all hours of the night.

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“We’re full all the time and turning people away. That’s partly why we wanted to try this mode,” said Sarah Campbell, organizer of the drop-in space and executive director of Ark Aid Street Mission. “You don’t need to have a referral and it’s first come first served.”

The coffee house space at 371 Hamilton Rd. has laundry facilities and washrooms, but won’t have beds or floor mats for sleeping.

“It’s the first time we’re running a drop-in type service, which is just tables and chairs, a warm place to come in, get a drink, get basic needs,” Campbell said Monday, the day the service was to begin .

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“It’s not ideal, but we’re hopeful that it creates a location that people can go to whatever time of night.”

Many people living unsheltered don’t want to stay, or can’t handle staying in a shelter all night, but need some place to rest and get warm, Campbell said.

The coffee house also offers a tent area where people can keep their belongings secure while they rest.

“We’re not sure how many people will be here. We’ll do our best to have everyone warm up at some point,” Campbell said.

Staff might have to ask some people to leave for a spell so others can get in, but that shouldn’t be a problem most times, she said.

“This community is this generous to one another. They will give what they have so someone else can have something. That’s how this community survives, the sharing.”

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The London Coffee House is operated during the day and weekend evenings by CMHA Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services.

Campbell expects to operate the night drop-in from 9:30 pm to 8:30 am daily.

Each year for the past four, London has increased shelter and services for people living outside during the winter.

This winter, Ark Aid has funding to operate 105 beds – that could be costs or mats – at three other locations, as well as the 15 spaces at the coffee house.

The agency is still looking to hire staff and bring on more volunteers, Campbell said.

In the fall, officials counted more than 700 people living outside in Londonwith about half expected to remain so during the winter.

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This year’s winter response comes as organizations and city hall work on a longer term change to the entire health care and homelessness system.

The system changes, called the whole-of-community responsewas developed last winter by more than 200 people from a range of sectors and 70 organizations.

Under the new system, up to 15 hubs will offer round-the-clock shelter and services, including primary health care, and up to 600 housing units will provide homes with intense supports.

Two hubs are set to start operating this winter and dozens of housing units already have opened.

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