The transition has been completed for the new homeless shelter in Chatham, say municipal officials.
As of this past week, services were moved out of Travelodge and into Victoria Park Place, the former Victoria Park public school building at 185 Murray St.
Polly Smith, director of employment and social services, said the changeover went well, but faced some logistical hurdles.
“The past two weeks have been very challenging for the Victoria Park Place contractors and staff as we prepared for opening and had a significant flood on the long weekend,” she said in an email.
“Despite this, the incredible efforts of the contractors and their subcontractors, as well as numerous municipal staff from a variety of departments, we were able to move in on time. As often happens here in Chatham-Kent, against the odds we came together toward a common goal and were successful.”
The finishing touches are currently taking place, while programs are finalized.
Smith said housing placements have been strong the past few months, with the by-name list starting to decrease. However, new households are still falling into homelessness because of the lack of affordable housing, high costs of living and low incomes, she added.
“Employment and social services is aware of increased visible encampments, which is also related to the warmer weather,” she said.
“Our staff and outreach groups are out visiting these sites regularly attempting to engage people staying living in encampments to participate in local services.”
The municipality has a lease agreement with a group of local investors for the building until May 31, 2025. The deal involves the municipality paying a nominal fee of $1 while being responsible for covering the cost of necessary renovations, insurance, utilities and maintenance.
The shelter has space for 50 emergency beds, as well as program space for community agencies.
The facility is not a free hostel nor a drop-in centre, given there are requirements for those accessing the service to take part in programs to assist a transition to more long-term housing.
Anyone experiencing a homelessness emergency can call the homeless response line at 519-354-6628, which is available 24/7. If no one immediately answers, staff are assisting another household at the time and callers are asked to leave a message.