Homeless in Guelph: Where people seek refuge in winter storms

More homeless people have been seeking shelter in Guelph, amid a winter storm that has brought snow, ice and freezing rain.

Gail Hoekstra, executive director of the Guelph Drop In Centre, says usage has been up at the organization's two shelters, the Stepping Stone Men's Shelter and the Dwelling Place Women's Shelter.

Hoekstra said the centre has been using motels to keep up with demand this week.

She added that if police officers in Guelph find someone sleeping on the street, they can bring them directly to a motel, without having to go through the shelter first.

In the past week Guelph Police responded to 49 calls to check on the wellbeing of someone, although how many of those calls were about apparently-homeless people is not known.  

Finding places to stay

When they aren't using the shelter, Hoekstra said some people will find other places to stay. She said usage at the shelter last week — during another winter storm — likely wasn't as high because it was the beginning of the month.

"Some people combine their resources and get a motel room, just from their Ontario Works check," she explained.

"Often people that are more vulnerable have quite a community around them, so if they can stay on someone's couch or in someone's place they might do that rather than going to a shelter.

Despite the harsh winter weather, Hoekstra said some people will still stay out in the street.

She said although the shelter is low-barrier and doesn't require people to be sober, those who struggle with mental illness or addiction may not want to or be able to stay in a shelter.

In those cases, Hoekstra said they try to work with other community services to find vulnerable people shelter and keep them safe