A temporary housing-focused shelter is being set up for in-need St. Catharines citizens.
Since the turn of the century, Canada has seen steadily rising rates of homelessness. These rates skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing the country into a nationwide homeless crisis.
The combination of the lack of affordable housing, the increasingly rising cost of living and the staggering increase in average housing prices – rising by more than 30 per cent from 2019 to 2021 – was magnified when shelters were unable to house as many people due to safety restrictions during the pandemic.
Now, municipalities are trying to cope with this increased number of unhoused people who need shelter, food and other help, such as addiction support services.
St. Catharines is struggling with these same issues. In 2021, according to The Homeless Hub, 645 people in the city were experiencing homelessness, with 41.5 per cent of these cases being chronic. Chronic homelessness entails unhoused people who have been so repeatedly or for longer than a year. Of those 645 people, 75 were living without any shelter and 67 identified as youth. 8.4 per cent self-identified as 2SLGBTQ+ and 22.6 per cent identified as Indigenous.
The proposed temporary shelter in St. Catharines will be built at 29 Riordon Street, a site chosen based on “zoning, access to transit and support services, [and] safety and distance from other vulnerable populations.” It will be a full-day establishment, with 50 beds and indoor accommodations to “allow clients to stay inside during the day and work toward their goals.” Niagara Region Homelessness Services will operate the shelter.
This decision comes after a Shelter Capacity Review conducted by the region that pointed to a moving away from seasonal shelters – emergency shelters operating exclusively during the wintertime – and toward “all-year, full-day shelters.” It will operate for roughly two years before a permanent site is opened, at which point these modular units will be repurposed somewhere else in the Niagara region.
Niagara describes this shelter as “low barrier,” meaning it will be easier for unhoused people to access it. With this phrase, however, they make it clear that “safety is a top priority. Policies, procedures and practices are set up to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone at the shelter.” This includes staff and clients, but also community members living near the shelter.
The site will have a security camera, a fence, and will be staffed accordingly, with “exterior site walkabouts… every 15 to 30 minutes.” Niagara also clarifies that there is “zero tolerance” for any violence – sexual, threatened or otherwise – including theft, arson, property damage or drug dealing.
In the face of a nationwide housing crisis, shelters such as these will help some of the most vulnerable citizens in Canada. The shelter on Riordon Street is expected to open sometime in early 2024.
