Downtown church to host Sudbury's overnight winter emergency shelter — temporarily

Preparations are underway to once again open the city-funded overnight emergency shelter for the winter, but there is one change this year: the location.

The 30 shelter beds are funded by the city of Greater Sudbury, but it's the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) that operates the low-barrier facility.

A low-barrier shelter does not turn away anyone who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. However drugs, alcohol, and weapons are not allowed on the premises.

During the past few winters, the Off the Street Shelter has been set up on the ground floor of 200 Larch Street downtown. However, that building is currently under renovation. Work isn't scheduled to be finished until spring of 2019.

That meant the CMHA had to find a temporary location for the 2018/2019 winter.

Shelter manager Cindy Rose says the CMHA took the location request to its community partners to see if a temporary host site could be found.

"We've been warmly welcomed by Christ the King [church] parish and the parishioners," she said.

The Church of Christ the King on Ste Anne Road stepped forward to offer its downstairs parish hall to house the shelter over the next six months.

The hall is normally used for church functions or it's rented out to community groups.

Parishioners onboard

Father Jim Ketzler calls it a great opportunity.

"Our parish council, when I brought the request to them wholeheartedly said 'yes'".

He added that the parishioners of the downtown Catholic church are also on board with helping those individuals who are in need of a warm place to rest.

"They clapped after the announcement, so that's a good indication," Ketzler said.

"Also some came to me right after and said 'Are you going to have a special envelope so we can donate to the shelter?', or 'Where do we bring things that we can offer for the shelter?" he said.

No TV at temporary shelter

The temporary shelter location has a kitchen area, which the Larch Street space didn't have in years past. That news is exciting for Rose who says she expects they'll use it to make warm meals for the clients.

"To get a little bit more hearty food into our individuals who come in and who are looking for something to fill their stomachs in the morning and at night."

However, the drawback with the Christ the King space is there is no television or lounging couches, but Rose sees this as a good thing.

"It will be very quiet. It's a positive for us and for the people who are accessing the shelter cause they actually will be able to get a really good night's sleep without some of the distractions of the TV sometimes that happens at night."

Spreading the word

The challenge now is letting people know the shelter has moved temporarily.

"We do have big signs going up at the 200 Larch Street location to be able to have a map as to how to get here," Rose said. They've also provided cards to community partners to hand out to anyone who may need the shelter.

"We're making sure that the outreach teams and all the service providers are aware this is the new location," said Gail Spencer, coordinator of shelters and homelessness for the City of Greater Sudbury.

"We're hoping that through word of mouth and through signage that everyone is going to know that this is where it is this year," she added.

Spencer says the city funds the shelter for 30-beds nightly. During the 2017/2018 season, the Off The Street emergency shelter averaged 38 individuals per night.

"We don't turn people away," Rose said.

She adds the CMHA tries to work with individuals to connect them with other community supports and services to find permanent housing.

According to Spencer, the city is undergoing an emergency shelter review to determine whether there are enough shelter beds in the community, and whether there needs to be any further reorganizing. That report will go before the new city council early in 2019.

"As always we want to make sure that our funding is going in particular to support people to stay permanently housed, and that's always our first focus," Spencer said.

The Off the Street overnight emergency shelter opens for the season this Thursday, and will remain open every night between 8:30 p.m. and 8 a.m., until April 15, 2019.