Out of the Cold Emergency Winter
Shelter 2010 Final Report
Executive Summary
History
The Out of the Cold Emergency Winter Shelter first opened in
March, 2009 (closing at the end of April, 2009). Created by a
group of individuals and organizations that were concerned
about the lack of options for Halifax’s homeless population the
Out of the Cold Shelter ran on donations of supplies, space,
money and time.
Out of the Cold’s second season began in November, 2009 and
ran until April 2010.
Operational structure
The Out of the Cold shelter was to provide a welcoming alternative
shelter environment with a higher staff/shelter user ratio with 15
beds open to men, women, trangendered people, and youth.
Recognizing that there are other shelter services in the city, the
OTCS aimed to serve people who could not readily access the
existing shelter system due to mental health issues, barring
from other shelters, couples who did not want to be separated
and/or the increasing capacity issues experienced at other
shelters.
The shelter operated within a low-barrier and harm reduction
framework in the hopes of being able to accommodate those
who were unable to access elsewhere.
Operational structure
The shelter was open from 9pm to 8am every night of the week
during the winter. The shelter was staffed by a committed and
trained group of over 100 volunteers and 5 paid staff. Beyond
these individuals, a committee of professional staff from
partnering organizations managed the shelter and supervised
volunteers. Members of this committee provided on-location
and on-call support to the volunteers and staff who provided
front-line services at the shelter
Out of the Cold was a collaborative effort of numerous community
and service-based organizations across Halifax operating
under the umbrella of Metro Non-Profit Housing Association.
The shelter space in the basement of Saint Matthew’s United Church.
Volunteers
The first season of the Out of the Cold shelter saw 50 volunteers donating
their energy and time. This number increased to over 100 in the
second season.
Volunteer were provided with training in shelter operation and orientation,
Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, suicide intervention awareness, street
health, first aid / CPR, conflict management and overdose education.
In the 09-10 season volunteers worked over 5,300 hours. Volunteer tasks
included staffing shelter shifts, cleaning the shelter space, meal
preparation and delivery, laundry delivery and fundraising.
In addition to the volunteer staff there was a team of 14 on-call members
who oversaw each night of the shelter, coordinated communication,
held weekly case conferences, oversaw policy changes and took on
an administrative role.
Budget
The OTCS operated with expenses of $40,000
Financial donations and grants totalled $50,000
The remainder of the funds raised in the
2009/2010 season will go towards start-up
costs for next season.
Numbers at a glance
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226 different individuals accessed OTCS for a total of 2,221 overnight
stays.
The Out of the Cold shelter had an occupancy rate of 92.5%. The
month of March was a particularly busy month (107.5% occupancy
rate) with the shelter recording an additional 50 intakes reflecting a
high number of referrals out to other shelters.
OTCS was at capacity 43% of the time – when looking at nights where
we had only 14 of the 15 beds occupied, this number increases to
50%.
Average number of clients who stayed each night – 13.9.
Youth between the ages of 16 and 24 accounted for 38.9% (88
individuals) of the total stays at OTCS. Of that number, 31% (28
individuals) of the total stays by youth were by women.
Approximately 75 people had to be turned away over the course of the
winter.
Numbers at a glance
Case studies
Individual who required 1:1 personal care
A man in his late 20s arrived with police escort to the OTCS one evening with
nowhere else to go. He had both mental and physical disabilities relating to an
accident that he had had earlier in life which had left him with brain damage. He
had been kicked out of a Small Options home for drinking and behavioural
issues. He had tried to access other shelters in Halifax but was denied each
time. He needed 1:1 personal care in order to move around and perform basic
tasks like going to the washroom and changing himself. He was also prone to
severe seizures. Additionally, his cognitive functions were impaired, causing
him to make inappropriate and hostile comments to other guests which put his
own safety at risk. He needed a staff member by his side at all times to help
him with his physical needs as well as mediate between him and the other
guests. After one night at the OTCS, the organizing team strategized about how
to best support him and refer him to the most appropriate service or shelter.
Age inappropriate spaces
16-year-old Kalem stayed at the Out of the Cold shelter off and on for over a
month. He found himself in foster care for much of his childhood. After
experiencing unimaginable trauma and abuse, he ended up in a group home
and secure care facility at the age of 13.
Kalem takes no medication and has no medical diagnoses but self identifies as
having attention deficit disorder. Staff at the Out of the Cold Shelter noticed him
as both an instigator of conflict and a rational and genuine supporter of fellow
shelter guests. Kalem’s stays with OTCS were sporadic as he preferred to be at
the youth shelter in the city. After getting in trouble there due to his difficulty
with focusing and controlling his understandable anger surrounding his
situation, he was timed out several times. Several of these times were even in a
row. At age 16, Kalem was exposed to scenes and experiences in the shelter
system that most adults find disturbing. His hope was to have more than one
option for shelter as a youth, but other than the one emergency shelter for
youth that he had been timed out of for over two weeks, there were only adult
facilities available.
Mental illness barriers to shelters
Mr. Roy came to the Out of the Cold shelter with a police escort. He had been
timed-out of all other shelters for men in the city due to his unmanaged
schizophrenia. Mr. Roy’s illness prohibited him from sustaining stable housing
and kept him in a place where delusions and hallucinations were often present.
This became a complex situation for both staff and guests at the shelter.
Therefore, Mr. Roy was unable to coordinate his own support system in the
web of services as his mental illness was debilitating on many levels. He was
also unable to access support through the in-patient ward at the hospital.
Throughout the several weeks that Mr. Roy resided at the shelter staff became
advocates on his behalf and acted as a liaison between the hospital,
community mental health workers, medical clinic staff and the hospital. Through
this coordination, he was admitted to the hospital in order to attempt to stabilize
his condition. After his hospital stay, he was released back into the shelter
system where he continued to have conflict in a group setting.
Mr. Roy was arrested by the police and has still not found adequate or appropriate
support.
Couple not wanting to separate
Sandra and Martin, both in their early twenties, had been living in an apartment together and
supporting themselves with Martin’s paycheque as Sandra searched for a job. Martin was
laid off and, suddenly unable to pay the month’s rent, their landlord evicted them. In the
midst of all this the couple found out Sandra was pregnant. They tried accessing separate
shelters but hated being apart, especially since this was when they needed each other’s
support most. Sandra and Martin found out about the Out of the Cold shelter and came
because couples could access together.
Now that they had found a shelter that they felt comfortable with they could work on other goals.
Sandra and Martin went to the Department of Community Services to apply for income
assistance and discovered that they needed a stable address in order to even apply for
assistance. An income assistance worker explained that there were single-sex shelters in
Halifax that could be used as addresses to apply for income assistance but the Out of the
Cold shelter’s address would not work. Staying together meant more than receiving income
assistance so Sandra and Martin continued to search for work and stay at the Out of the
Cold until travel arrangements could be made for them both to go out West where family
support was available.
Individual who was working but
still unable to find housing
Stephen is in his mid-thirties and was living with a roommate when
a dispute forced him to leave. Though he was working in a retail
position, his job did not pay enough for Stephen to pay for rent,
bills, food and other necessities by himself and he found
himself on the street. Stephen tried accessing Metro Turning
Point but felt unsafe and tempted into drinking and drug habits
that he had dealt with in the past. He went to the Salvation
Army but could not afford to save for a new apartment and also
pay the nightly rate they required. He came to the Out of the
Cold shelter where he enjoyed a quieter atmosphere with fewer
guests than larger shelters. He was also able to save money as
the Out of the Cold shelter does not require payment for room
and board.
Individual with high mental and
social needs
Rachael, a 32-year-old woman, often came to the shelter in a state of crisis. Each
night she would talk with staff and guests about the government conspiracies
she was convinced of. Though staff were supportive and listened to her as best
they could she was often unable to calm down and relax in the space. This
tension carried over to other guests who grew more and more agitated with her
volume and constant attempts to draw them into a conversation.
Staff tried to discuss various mental health and support agencies with Rachael but
her time at the shelter was always too short and unfocused to work on a real
plan, even for the short-term. When staff discussed other shelter options that
may provide more stability for Rachael it was discovered that her behaviour and
untreated mental health issues had created conflict at other shelters as well.
She was a threat to herself as she created conflict with other guests and often
exasperated staff with her behaviour. The Out of the Cold shelter was able to
act as a mental health respite for her but, as we close, Rachael is left with little
to no resources that haven’t already been explored.
Individual with complicated
medication needs
On the first night that Thomas, 49, accessed the Out of the Cold shelter he turned in numerous
bottles of medication he was taking for mental health issues. When asked if he was able to
access other shelters in the city Thomas stated that he had had numerous conflicts with
both staff and guests at other shelters, mostly stemming from behaviour related to his
mental health situation.
Thomas stayed on and off for a week before staff at the Out of the Cold shelter were contacted
by nurses with Mobile Outreach Street Health (MOSH) who were concerned about him.
Thomas was in a complicated situation where if he did not take his medication his mental
health would become unstable and he could not navigate his way safely through the city. If
Thomas took too much medication at once his physical health would be in jeopardy and he
would often collapse in public. MOSH tried to work with Thomas by meeting with him
frequently and distributing his medication in small doses but this still did not ensure that he
took the proper pills in the proper doses at the proper times. Thomas required a stable
shelter situation with both mental health supports and staff trained to dispense medication .
When he is supported Thomas is a chatty and vibrant individual but his stability can easily
deteriorate when his medication gets out of control, which happens easily on the streets.
The cost of not funding
Housing is one of the most basic requirements required to ensure an
individual is healthy in both mind and body. The impact of a lack of
secure, safe, and affordable housing on the health of individuals has
been studied at length and has been recognized as one of 15 major
social determinants of an individual’s overall health.
Street youth interviewed in Halifax in a 2004 study stated that they usually
had multiple health problems exacerbated by cold, hunger, poor
housing, poor diets, and the high-risk behaviours they engage in to
survive. Numerous studies also demonstrate that mental illness –
depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and feelings of
uncontrollable anger – are further exacerbated by homelessness. As
well, substance misuse and addiction are major problems for some
individuals experiencing homelessness. While in some instances this
may be a possible cause of this homelessness, it is also a subsequent
barrier to getting off the street.
The cost of not funding
A study undertaken by the BC provincial government found that in 1998–
1999, providing major government services, including healthcare,
criminal justice and social services (excluding housing) to the
homeless included in the study, cost on average, 33 per cent more
than the housed ($24,000 compared to $18,000). When combined,
the service and shelter costs of the homeless people ranged from
$30,000 to $40,000 on average per person for one year (including the
costs of staying in an emergency shelter). The combined costs of
services and housing for housed individuals ranged from $22,000 to
$28,000 per person per year. It is worth noting that these housed
individuals were housed in government funded supportive housing.
Thus, even when housing costs are included, the total government
costs for the housing formerly homeless individuals amounted to less
than the government costs for the homeless individuals, with a savings
of up to $18,000 per person.
The cost of not funding
Providing adequate
supportive housing to the
homeless people in this
study saved the provincial
government money.
Department of Community
Services (DCS)
Sometimes our efforts to support our guests meant that we had to advocate on
their behalf to the Department of Community Services (DCS). Two of the
biggest challenges that we faced when doing so are outlined below:
The Department of Community Services did not see the address of the Out of the
Cold shelter as an address that could be used for an income assistance
application.
DCS no longer has a 24 hour helpline. This phone line used to be available for
calls in emergency situations, which occurred often during the 09/10 season.
There were nights that we saw people sleep on the steps outside of the Out of
the Cold Shelter because we were at capacity and they could not access other
shelters due to capacity or being timed-out. At these times staff were greatly
concerned about the safety of these individuals, especially when the weather
was harsher or when they were in a more vulnerable state. At these times staff
needed a 24 hour line to call to obtain assistance from DCS to help the
population they state they serve.
What we are calling for
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Short-term
– To have the address of the Out of the Cold shelter be
recognized for application for social assistance.
– To have the Out of the Cold shelter recognized as an
integral part of the HRM shelter community.
– To receive funding from the Department of Community
Services for shelter operations.
Long-term
– To have the Department of Community Services commit to
supporting the creation of more affordable and supportive
housing.