Shelters in Waterloo region and Guelph prepare for cold weather ahead

Local homeless shelters in Waterloo region and Guelph say they are getting ready to deal with an influx of people who may be looking to get out of the cold over the coming days.

Temperatures in the area will hover around -10C over the next few days and have overnight lows near -15C. The Region of Waterloo has a list of warming centres on their website that operate during business hours.

The region said in an email to CBC News that there are no plans to open up a new temporary emergency shelter in the coming days.

"Housing Services plans for the colder weather arriving in advance by working with community partners to expand emergency shelter spaces creating overflow spaces where possible and as needed, for those that choose to stay in shelter," the region said.

The Working Centre runs the shelter on King Street at the former Schwaben Club location in Kitchener and a shelter on University Avenue in Waterloo, which is about 230 beds in total.

Director Joe Mancini said both shelters are full and there's no room for overflow beds.

"There isn't a bed to be had," he said.

"We're under pressure not to increase the number of people in any of those spaces. It's really unfortunate because we know how many people need shelter but the spaces we've created are full."

He said they have space available to shield people from the cold during the day, especially for those living at the Victoria Street encampment.

St. John's Kitchen and 87 Victoria Street, which are located across the street from the encampment, are open during the day and will have space for people to warm up and get a meal.

On Monday, Mancini said they were able to find a few volunteers to staff 87 Victoria overnight for the next two weeks, which will provide space for 20 to 25 people.

"It's helpful, especially for that group across the street and others in the wider community," he said.

If an individual is in need of a bed overnight, staff at the shelters call the region's First Connect line to see if there are other shelters in the region with space available, Mancini said.

'We're ready'

Wayne Paddick, executive director of the Cambridge Shelter Corporation, said they have space in their shelter and their overflow space to take people in over the coming days.

Paddick said the staff checks in with outreach workers to see who is willing to come into the shelter or whether they would be better served at their overflow space, located at a motel.

"We have about 15 spots right now available at the 26 Simcoe location and in the motel program, the overflow space, we have out of the 40 spaces there we have 26 spaces available," he said.

"I think we're ready for the cold weather and what it may bring."

Paddick said they wouldn't turn anyone away even if the shelter were full and would try to find a space for the individual.

'We do stress over the winter'

In Guelph, Stepping Stone executive director Gail Hoekstra said they are able to meet capacity for the people that need shelter. As a homelessness organization, she said when temperatures drop this low it's a cause for concern.

"We do stress over the winter months because we want to make sure everyone has a place to be and that they're warm and protected," she said.

"That's why every day we're checking on numbers, making sure that those coming to our door that we don't have to turn people away."

She said there are 125 people they serve between all of their shelter programs. Their emergency overnight shelter has 27 beds available for men and women over the age of 25, with five beds available for overflow.

YWCA KW

At the YWCA's emergency shelter, an average of 50 people have been accessing supports daily. The shelter serves women, trans women and non-binary people in the region and has 66 beds available.

Sheneka Myers, interim director of homelessness and housing, says the shelter always plans for overflow over the winter months to make sure there is space available when temperatures drop.

"We have a space available so that if we become full, because of an influx, we have a space that people can access and go into overflow," she told CBC News.

Myers says how many overflow beds are available fluctuates depending on the number of people in need.