Funding will increase Simcoe shelter beds from 12 to 20

A contribution from the Norfolk County Police Services Board is going to help increase the number of beds at The Warming Center in Simcoe from 12 to 20.

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The board agreed to provide $5,000 from its community policing budget at a meeting on Wednesday. The funding will also cover the printing costs of flyers and posters used by the Norfolk OPP to promote its services and aid in recruiting.

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The request for funding for The Warming Center, a shelter operated by Church Out Serving in the First Baptist Church, was made by Norfolk OPP Const. Shauna Poulton, the force’s community mobilization officer.

“I have been working closely with homelessness prevention all summer,” Poulton told board members. “I’ve seen within the county recently the pop up of a lot more encampments and more people struggling with housing.”

Poulton said statistics show that the number of calls for service the OPP received about “suspicious persons” out in the streets has been cut in half since the shelter opened.

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There were 42 different people using the shelter in 2022, 12 women and 31 men, for a total of 542 visits. The average age of visitors was 41 but ages ranged from 18 to 74.

Poulton said there is a shelter in Jarvis but it is “kind of in the middle of nowhere” and most people from Simcoe don’t want to use it.

“Although it’s a great shelter, they don’t have the supports people need out there. Most people refuse to go to the shelter in Jarvis and those who do go are typically back in 12 to 24 hours.”

The $4,000 provided by the police board to The Warming Center will allow them to purchase bed frames, mattresses and sheets.

The shelter was open from January until the end of April this year.

Poulton said she’s hoping the center can eventually operate all year.

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“I’d like it to become a year-round, out-of-the-elements shelter, not just during the cold winter months. I saw the struggles this summer. Some people want to live where they’re living (outdoors) but a lot of people would love to have this opportunity.”

Poulton is also working on a pilot project that would allow people who are homeless to shower weekly at Talbot Gardens, located next to The Warming Centre. The plan, which is still being developed, would open up the showers in the arena for a few hours each week. The showers would then be cleaned for use by others.

“I’ve seen people sleeping on park benches,” said police officer George Santos in supporting the initiatives. “I’ve seen an individual bathe under the bridge of Highway 3. This is real.”

Poulton said the number of people sleeping outside has increased over the last three months as they struggle with rising costs.

“I’m very excited for this collaboration,” said Norfolk Coun. Kim Huffman, who chairs the police services board. “It’s a way to bring services to the people in a way that counts.”

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