New Glasgow shelter receives $430K to expand homelessness services
Viola's Place Society will more than double their shelter beds
An emergency shelter in New Glasgow is increasing services offered to those experiencing homelessness thanks to $430,000 in funding from the province's Department of Community Services.
Viola's Place Society, an organization that operates an emergency shelter, is using the funding to hire another housing support worker, expand services and add 12 more shelter beds to its original eight.
"In the fall of last year, we were really struggling," said Lisa DeYoung, executive director of Viola's Place Society. "We were feeling like we weren't able to meet the demand that our community had."
In one month leading up to winter, DeYoung said they had to turn away 25 people.
"It just didn't feel like we were offering as much support as we wanted to because we didn't have the funding or the manpower to do that," she said.
DeYoung says the funding from the province will help house people temporarily as shelter demand continues to grow amid a housing crisis.
She said more temporary beds are required at the shelter, as finding long-term housing for low-income people has been a challenge.
"Usually it would take about two to four weeks for us to be able to secure housing for them. Now it's taking much longer," DeYoung said.
"We've had an individual here for eight months," she said. "We're struggling to find, first of all, vacant units. They come and go very quickly, sometimes in less than 24 hours."
Renovations adds more space
When they opened their doors in 2018, they only had eight beds. Extra funding helped them to add 12 more.
The building, which used to be a church, has undergone renovations in order to make space for shelter beds in an open-concept upstairs space. A large kitchen, new washrooms, shower room, laundry room and community rooms were remodelled.
An extra housing support worker was also added to the 10-person staff, which helps extend shelter hours to 24-hour access.
Those supports include food, hot showers, laundry services, financial assistance and help finding housing for those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
The Department of Community Services said in a news release the organization will receive more than $680,000 per year for shelter services and housing support workers.