Chapter 5: Table of Contents
EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVICES......................................................................... 145
Introduction.............................................................................................................. 145
What concepts are important?................................................................................. 145
Conceptual definitions.......................................................................................... 145
Why residents access services ............................................................................ 147
Local shelter evolution ............................................................................................. 147
Governance ............................................................................................................. 148
Federal Government ............................................................................................ 148
Provincial Government......................................................................................... 149
Regional Government .......................................................................................... 152
Emergency shelters in Waterloo Region.................................................................. 152
Services ............................................................................................................... 155
Capacity ............................................................................................................... 155
Demand ............................................................................................................... 156
Local policies and service provision for specific populations or situations ........... 159
Promising principles and practices .......................................................................... 164
Fostering a sense of safety .................................................................................. 165
Transgendered individuals ................................................................................... 169
Funding, evaluation and planning ........................................................................ 172
Coordination of services....................................................................................... 175
Interaction between local emergency shelters ..................................................... 176
Analysis and research insights ................................................................................ 182
Are emergency shelters needed in Waterloo Region? ......................................... 182
Does Waterloo Region have the right amount and the right types of emergency
shelters for adults?............................................................................................... 183
Will expansion of existing shelters or new shelters be required in the future to keep
pace with growth? ................................................................................................ 186
List of Figures
Figure 1. Emergency shelter bed nights 1999-2005.................................................... 156
List of Tables
Table 1: Maximum provincially approved emergency shelter per diem rates 1983-2006
............................................................................................................................. 151
Table 2: Overview of formal emergency shelter services for people experiencing
homelessness ages 16 and over, not including youth-specific services............... 153
Table 3: Overview of other recognized emergency shelter services for people ages 16
and over, not including youth-specific services. ................................................... 154
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
Chapter 5
EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVICES
Introduction
T
here are several important concepts that pertain specifically to emergency
shelter services that are explored at the outset of this chapter (e.g., conceptual
definitions and why residents in Waterloo Region access services). This
information provides a foundation for the sections that follow: local emergency shelter
evolution (serving people within the scope of this report, i.e., adults), governance, a
review of programs in Waterloo Region, promising principles and practices in the field,
concluded by analysis and actions for consideration for the chapter as a whole.
What concepts are important?
Conceptual definitions
Since a common definition for emergency shelters does not exist, different jurisdictions
across Canada use different terminology. In 1990, the Province’s pre-existing definition
of “emergency hostel” was changed to “emergency hostel services” to mean the
provision of board, lodging and services to meet the personal needs of people
experiencing homelessness on a short-term, infrequent basis, not including services
provided to residents of interval or transition homes for women experiencing abuse
(Burton, 1997). Today, the Province identifies emergency shelters as “transient hostels”
– however, the core definition remains the same. For the purposes of this report, the
term emergency shelter is used; a designation that is synonymous with homeless
shelter, emergency hostel, transient hostel and hostel. Emergency shelters are diverse
in terms of populations served, operational models and levels of service provision
(Ontario Municipal Social Services Association, 2006). At a minimum, common
elements include emergency access to meals and a place to sleep on a temporary
basis. In the past, emergency shelters worked primarily with transient single men
providing refuge from the street and “three hots and a cot” (i.e., three meals and a bed)
(Feins & Fosburg, 1998). However, the face of homelessness has changed over the
past twenty years (Ontario Municipal Social Services Association, 2006) and, while
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
145
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
some emergency shelters continue to provide only meals and a bed, several reports
have identified that emergency shelters today should serve additional roles: acting as
an access point to a range of services (Feins & Fosburg, 1998), providing access to
case
management
(Ontario
Services
Association,
Social
providing
earning
Municipal
opportunities
2006),
and
preparing people for permanent housing
“Large congregate emergency shelters are
unlikely to succeed in breaking the cycle of
[persistent homelessness] among people with
multiple disabilities.” Burt et al., 2004
(Mayor’s Homelessness Action Task Force, 1999). It is well understood that emergency
shelters should not serve as permanent housing (Mayor’s Homelessness Action Task
Force, 1999).
Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) refer to the thirty-seven
municipalities and ten District Social Services Administration Boards that have been
designated by the Province to manage the delivery of a variety of programs at the local
level such as Ontario Works, child care, social housing programs and homelessness
(Ontario Municipal Social Services Association, 2006). Locally, the Regional
Municipality of Waterloo (the Region) is the service system manager for homelessness.
A number of different types of emergency shelter services exist within Waterloo Region.
There are those considered formal emergency shelters funded under a purchase of
service agreement with the Region that follow the Region’s Emergency Shelter
Guidelines (2004) and are intended to serve people experiencing homelessness (e.g.,
YWCA-Mary’s Place). There are other recognized emergency shelters within Waterloo
Region that do not have a purchase of service agreement with the Region as they are
funded through other sources, are not eligible, or have not sought an agreement. These
include those that are intended for homelessness (e.g., Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the
Cold) and those that may or may not be intended for homelessness (e.g., Women’s
Crisis Services serves women fleeing women abuse).
The Out of the Cold program is a network of churches and other faith groups that
provide overnight shelter, drop-in services and meals for people experiencing or at-risk
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
146
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
of homelessness and other socially isolated people in the cold winter months (Ontario
Municipal Social Services Association, 2006).
Why residents access services
According to the 2006 version of the Inventory of Services for the Housing Stability
System in Waterloo Region (Inventory of Services) (Regional Municipality of Waterloo,
2006f), there were a number of reasons why residents accessed emergency shelter
services. These included (in no particular order): financial, mental health and/or
substance use issues; loss of employment or housing; eviction for economic or
behavioural reasons; relationship and/or family breakdown; issues of women abuse;
discharge from a correctional or health care institution with nowhere to go; substandard
housing; they were from out of town and just passing through; they were fleeing from all
forms of threats of harm and/or abuse; or they had poor or limited social/life skills.
Local shelter evolution
The longest-standing shelter organization in Waterloo Region is the Kitchener-Waterloo
YWCA (YWCA) which started providing residential services in 1915. The YWCA offered
women from rural communities and those working and attending school in the city, a
place to stay that was affordable, safe and helped them to improve the quality of their
lives. Actual emergency shelter targeted to people experiencing homelessness first
commenced in Waterloo Region in 1954 when the House of Friendship began providing
emergency shelter to men. This was closely followed in 1955 by the Salvation Army,
which began offering emergency shelter services at the Booth Centre for single men;
thirty-five to forty beds were available through their program at that time. By the 1970s,
the YWCA “hostel” had transitioned to an emergency shelter to meet the demand for
services from women experiencing homelessness (officially named YWCA-Mary’s Place
in 1990). In 1978, emergency shelters for families experiencing crisis and abuse began
operating through Anselma House in Kitchener and Haven House in Cambridge (now
called Women’s Crisis Services). Therefore, by the late 1970s there were two types of
emergency shelters for women in Waterloo Region: one for single women with or
without children (including male children up to the age of ten) and one for women with
children experiencing abuse. In 1982, the House of Friendship moved to its current
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
147
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
location and named its emergency shelter services Charles Street Men’s Hostel, which
has thirty-nine beds. In 1990-1991, renovations were made to the Booth Centre and
programs related to addictions and corrections were added, reducing the number of
beds for emergency shelter to seven over time. By the 1990s, YWCA-Mary’s Place
began serving more women-led families. In 2001, YWCA-Mary’s Place began serving
families with men and male children over 10 and they increased in capacity from 53 to
60 beds.
During the late 1990s, with emergency shelters in Kitchener-Waterloo experiencing
periods of over-capacity, no adult emergency shelter services in Cambridge and a lack
of harm reduction approaches being utilized by existing emergency shelters, the
Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge Out of the Cold programs emerged. In 2003, the
Salvation Army ceased offering emergency shelter services due to low demand and a
lack of financial viability (services transformed into a transitional housing program for
men called New Directions, see chapter seven for more information). The Cambridge
Out of the Cold program transitioned into a permanent shelter in 2005. The KitchenerWaterloo Out of the Cold continues to operate as a seasonal winter program.
Governance
This section will provide information on shelter policy, funding and legislation from
various levels of government.
Federal Government
The role the federal government has taken in relation to emergency shelters includes
data collection as well as some funding support, largely for capital. Programs include
the National Homelessness Initiative’s Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative
(SCPI) that provides funding directly to communities for locally determined projects
(which may include shelters), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC)
Renovation and Conversion Program, which includes the Shelter Enhancement
Program (SEP) and the Homelessness Individuals and Families Information System
(HIFIS) national data management program.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
148
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Background information about SCPI is included in chapter four. Shelter projects (within
the scope of this report) to which the community has directed SCPI funding include the
building of The Bridges in Cambridge, the rebuild of YWCA-Mary’s Place in Kitchener,
small supply purchases for the Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold and HIFIS
implementation within formal emergency shelter services.
The federal government’s CMHC Renovation and Conversion programs have existed
for over two decades. In 1999, these programs were expanded under the National
Homelessness Initiative to include additional programs such as the SEP. The SEP was
implemented to create new or repair existing shelters for women and their children
fleeing domestic abuse, as well as youth who are victims of family violence. Funding
has also been used to create or repair transitional (also sometimes called second stage
housing) to help people make the transition to independent living. YWCA-Mary’s Place
received support through SEP in 1988 and 1999 in the form of forgivable loans (E.
Clarke, personal communication, August 4, 2006).
HIFIS is also a program of the federal government. HIFIS is an electronic data
management program which allows users (typically emergency shelters) to collect
information on the homeless population in Canada. HIFIS was first developed by CMHC
who took six years (beginning in 1995) to research, design, develop and test the
system. In January 2001, HIFIS was transferred to the National Secretariat on
Homelessness for implementation. HIFIS is currently placed with Human Resources
and Social Development’s Housing and Homelessness Branch. Formal emergency
shelters serving people experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region began using
HIFIS in 2003. Further information on HIFIS is included in chapter four.
Provincial Government
In 1958, the General Welfare Assistance Act permitted funding of people experiencing
homelessness in municipal unregulated homes – the forerunner of today’s emergency
shelters – and nursing homes at a per diem representing 75% of operating costs. Up
until the 1970s, funding policies for all “houses of refuge” (including homes for the aged,
domiciliary hostels and emergency shelters) did not vary according to medical needs.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
149
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
However, in 1972, the proclamation of the Nursing Homes Act brought a new focus on
seniors with medical needs resulting in increased funding and regulated care for seniors
who required more than 1.5 hours of nursing care per day. At the same time, policies for
hostels (emergency shelters and domiciliary hostels) were treated separately, with a
new regulation whereby the Province pays 80% of the cost of care in the form of a per
diem rate, as approved by the director of general welfare, along with an amount for
personal needs. The emergency shelter per diem rate was later set by General Welfare
Assistance Guidelines (1981-1998) (E. Dubas, personal communication, 2006).
Now under the Ontario Works Act (1997), municipalities have been given the discretion
to support emergency shelter services in their community. Today, the provision of
emergency shelter services can take a number of forms, including: directly operating
shelters, funding shelter provision through purchase of service agreements with nonprofit community agencies, or other arrangements (e.g., with hotels, motels or other
providers). The Province pays 80% of a provincially set maximum emergency shelter
per diem and the Region covers the remaining 20%. The emergency shelter program’s
overall budget is currently uncapped, meaning that as long as the Region is willing to
pay its 20%, the Province will match the amount at 80%.
The per diem amount has slowly increased over the years as demonstrated in Table 1
below (note these figures represent both the Provincial and Regional cost shared
amounts). From 1983 to 1993, annual increases averaged about 5%, with the lowest
increases at 1% in 1990 and 1993 and the highest increase at 10% in 1989. From 1993
through 2000 and in the years 2002, 2003 and 2005, however, no annual increases in
per diem rates were provided by the Province.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
150
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Table 1: Maximum provincially approved emergency shelter per diem rates 1983-2006
Year1
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994-2000
2001
2002-2003
2004
2005
2006
Maximum Per Diem
% Increase
$21.50
$22.60
5%
$23.30
3%
$25.00
7%
$26.25
5%
$28.00
7%
$30.85
10%
$31.20
1%
$33.40
7%
$34.10
2%
$34.50
1%
no increases
$38.00
10%
no increases
$39.15
3%
no increase
$39.95
2%
Residents staying at a shelter who are eligible for per diem may also receive a Personal
Needs Allowance which, throughout much of 2006 was set at $115/month or
approximately $3.90 per day. People may also be eligible for other mandatory and
discretionary benefits under Ontario Works (e.g., drug card, clothing allowance).
Violence against women shelters (called “transitional hostels” by the Province) are not
considered emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness but, rather, safe
shelters for women and their children fleeing women abuse. Locally, transitional hostels
have existed since 1978. From 1979 to 1998, the Region had entered into agreements
to provide cost-shared per diems for transitional hostels similar to emergency shelters
for people experiencing homelessness (Regional Municipality of Waterloo, 1979).
Effective January 1998, under the Ministry of Community and Social Services Act, the
Province assumed 100% of the approved per diems for transitional hostel services and
moved from a per diem to block funding arrangement. This funding change occurred at
the same time that General Welfare Assistance and Family Benefits Assistance were
replaced by Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program.
1
Data obtained from E. Dubas (personal communication, 2006) and Regional Municipality of Waterloo
Council and Committee Reports from 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2001 and 2004. Data not available for
1980-1982.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
151
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Regional Government
Since 1999, the Region has served as the service system manager for homelessness.
However, the Region has held agreements and provided per diem for emergency
shelters since 1973 when the Region came into existence. Prior to this, a per diem
agreement was held between the City of Kitchener and House of Friendship (dating
back to January 13, 1971 [House of Friendship, 1973]). The earliest reference to a
purchase of service agreement between the Region and YWCA is from 1975 (Regional
Municipality of Waterloo, 1975). Currently, YWCA-Mary’s Place, Charles Street Men’s
Hostel and the Cambridge Shelter each have a purchase of service agreement with the
Region. As was mentioned in the section above, through this agreement, the Province
jointly funds room and board on a per diem basis in an 80/20 cost sharing arrangement
through the Ontario Works Act (1997). Through the purchase of service agreement,
shelters provide services as outlined within the Region’s Emergency Shelter Guidelines
(2004). Shelters that have a purchase of service agreement with the Region and follow
the Emergency Shelter Guidelines (2004) provide formal emergency shelter services
within Waterloo Region.
Part of the Region’s role as service system manager for homelessness includes working
with local emergency shelters to develop their capacity. Activities over the past number
of years have included the development and monitoring of emergency shelter guidelines
(created in 2004), updating the emergency shelter purchase of service agreement,
implementing HIFIS, reviewing and developing measures to improve funding to the
shelters and supporting the development of protocols with other service providers.
Emergency shelters in Waterloo Region
The following pages provide a summary of the formal and other recognized emergency
shelter services that are available for people ages 16 and over in Waterloo Region (not
including youth-specific services); the first two tables provide a general overview (one
table for formal emergency shelter services and one table for other recognized shelter
services), followed by a more in depth summary of data regarding services, capacity
and demand. All information was sourced from the 2006 version of the Inventory of
Services.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
152
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Table 2: Overview of formal emergency shelter services for people experiencing homelessness ages 16 and over, not
including youth-specific services.
Organization
and/or
Program/Service
Length of
Stay
Guidelines
Overflow
Days2
Unique Individuals
Served and/or
Units of Service
Provided
2006:
all residents: 2,446
families: 30
bed nights: 14,298
Location
Eligibility
Capacity
Cambridge Shelter
Corporation:
The Cambridge
Shelter
Cambridge
males and
females
ages 16+
regular: 40 beds & 3 family units
expanded/emergency: 90 beds
(additional 40-50 more mats if
needed)
2 weeks
2006:
167
House of
Friendship:
Charles Street
Men’s Hostel
Kitchener
males ages
16+
regular: 39 beds
expanded/emergency: 54 beds
(additional 12 cots & 3 mattresses)
2 weeks
2005:
263
2005:
individuals: 937
bed nights: 15,796
Kitchener
females
ages 16+ &
their children
(boys 0-10);
families
regular: 60 beds with 1 family unit
that can include males over 10
expanded/emergency: 70 beds
(additional 5 temporary beds & 5
cots for extreme weather)
2005:
219
2005:
all residents: 577
families: 48
bed nights: 22,267
for children: 2,889
YWCA:
YWCA-Mary’s
Place
2 months
During renovations throughout 2007, bed availability may fluctuate from week to week, but should not fall below 52 beds.
Following renovations, YWCA-Mary’s Place will include 60 beds with 21 family units in their redesigned space.
All couples with children will be eligible to stay in the family units, including father-led families.
Note: Table is organized by location, then by agency in alphabetical order; N/D means there is no data available.
2
Each shelter defines overflow differently. Please see individual service profiles in the Inventory of Services for more information.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
153
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Table 3: Overview of other recognized emergency shelter services for people ages 16 and over, not including youthspecific services.
Organization
and/or
Program/Service
Cambridge Shelter
Corporation:
Cambridge Out of
the Cold
Women’s Crisis
Services of
Waterloo Region:
Haven House
Women’s Crisis
Services of
Waterloo Region:
Anselma House
Kitchener-Waterloo
Out of the Cold
Unique Individuals
Served and/or Units
of Service Provided
As of November 2005, emergency shelter services for individuals experiencing homelessness
in Cambridge are provided through the Cambridge Shelter.
Information for Cambridge Out of the Cold is current as of the last season of services provided (winter 2004/2005).
It is included for the purpose of providing an historical overview of capacity/demand.
Cambridge
individuals
2004/2005:
20-40 beds depending on the
seasonal shelter program
(various
ages 16+;
individuals: 200-300
night of the week
churches)
families
bed nights: 3,490
Location
Cambridge
Kitchener
KitchenerWaterloo
(various
churches)
Eligibility
women ages
16+ & their
children
(ages 0-15)
fleeing
women
abuse
individuals
ages 16+
Capacity
Length of Stay
Guidelines
8 weeks
2004/2005:
individuals:
235 women
208 children
bed nights: 16,691
seasonal shelter program
2005/2006:
individuals: 300-600
bed nights: 8,927
regular: 30 beds
regular: 20 beds
60-85 mattresses
offered 7 nights a week
between November and
March/April
Note: Table is organized by location, then by agency in alphabetical order; N/D means there is no data available.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
154
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
The following information is a summary of data from the 2006 version of the Inventory of
Services or as otherwise cited.
Services
Local emergency shelters (both formal and other recognized) are non-profit agencies
that have been operating anywhere from one year to over ninety years. The Cambridge
Shelter is located in Cambridge, while Charles Street Men’s Hostel and YWCA-Mary’s
Place are located in Kitchener. Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold operates from ten
different churches sites (seven primary sites, two secondary sites and one youthspecific site that began in 2003/2004 and ended in 2005/2006). Women’s Crisis
Services has two locations – one in Cambridge and one in Kitchener; both locations are
confidential. All shelters utilize volunteers to offset their paid human resources. Only
volunteers are used at Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold sites.
While the standard service provided by emergency shelters is shelter and food, there
are a variety of services offered in addition to these basic necessities. Shelters vary in
the extent to which they are able to provide all supports to each resident; this often
depends on funding for programs that augment shelter services. A list of the services
provided by at least one of the shelters in this section includes: counselling; information
about and referrals to various community services and government agencies; basic
toiletries; used clothing; laundry; showers; chapel services; housing support and
assistance with accessing financial resources; crisis support and intervention; job
training; health and medical care; an identification clinic; literacy and tutoring; foot care;
advocacy with landlords, probation and parole, lawyers; social, support and recreational
groups; life skills training; individual plans of care; internet and computer access; some
transitional support; interpreters; bus tickets; and referrals to drug and alcohol treatment
centres. All emergency shelters both receive referrals from and provide referrals to a
great number of other services within the community.
Capacity
The regular capacity of Waterloo Region’s formal emergency shelter services for adults
or families experiencing homelessness is 139 beds plus four self-contained family units.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
155
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Formal emergency shelters can “expand” their regular capacity within their buildings by
an additional seventy-five beds3 and, once this capacity is reached, they can overflow
into motels. Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold provides an average of seventy-one
mattresses/cots each night through the winter season. Therefore, overall, Waterloo
Region has a year-round capacity of 214 beds, four self-contained family units plus
access to motel units in times of overflow and a winter season capacity of 285 spaces,
four self-contained family units plus access to motel units in times of overflow for people
experiencing homelessness ages 16 and over (not including youth-specific services).
Women’s Crisis Services who serve women fleeing women abuse has fifty beds for both
sites (thirty in Cambridge and twenty in Kitchener), plus motel use as required.
Demand
Emergency Shelter Bed Nights
1999-2005
60,000
Bed Nights
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Year
Figure 1. Emergency shelter bed nights 1999-2005.
3
For YWCA-Mary’s Place, the emergency shelter is considered to be in “overflow” when the demand
exceeds the number of beds available (which is sixty). “Internal overflow” means that individuals are using
cots within the emergency shelter (ten are available; internal overflow does not count small children using
cribs or mats), while “external overflow” means that individuals are using motels for overnight
accommodation. At Charles Street Men’s Hostel, regular capacity is thirty-nine beds, where emergency
shelter can be “expanded” to fifty-four through “internal overflow” by adding cots to the rooms (twelve are
available) and by placing mattresses in the Chapel (three are available). “External overflow” means that
individuals are using motels for overnight accommodation. The regular capacity of the Cambridge Shelter
is forty beds; the “expanded/emergency capacity is an additional fifty more mats, while “external overflow”
means that individuals are using motels for overnight accommodation.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
156
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
When bed nights from all shelters serving people experiencing homelessness4 are
reviewed between 1999 and 2005 (see Figure 1) two key points can be noted. First,
there has not been a steady increase in bed nights over the years. There was an initial
jump from 1999 to 2000 of 32% and, since this time, numbers have fluctuated slightly
with virtually the same number of bed nights in 2005 as there was in 2000. Only about
one-third of the increase between 1999 and 2000 can be attributed to the opening and
early expansion of the two Out of the Cold programs. The majority of the increase
between 1999 and 2000 can be attributed to increased stays at YWCA-Mary’s Place.
Second, fluctuations in bed nights generally cannot be attributed to one particular
emergency shelter. Every emergency shelter has experienced fluctuating numbers from
one year to the next with the exception of Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold, which
has seen a steady increase until 2005 at which time it experienced its first decrease in
bed nights. Some fluctuations in bed nights can be directly attributed to service changes
within the emergency shelters and/or loosely attributed to key trends or events in the
community (see Appendix A for more information); however, definitive reasons for the
variation in numbers remain largely unknown.
Formal emergency shelters have experienced a substantial number of days in overflow
capacity and also experience periods of under capacity. In 2005, YWCA-Mary’s Place
had 219 days in overflow and 102% average bed night occupancy rate over the year,
Charles Street Men’s Hostel had 263 days in overflow and 111% average bed night
occupancy rate over the year and the Cambridge Shelter had 167 days in overflow and
98% average bed night occupancy rate over the year. Contrary to the perceptions
documented in the qualitative research conducted for this project (see CREHS, 2005),
between all emergency shelters serving people experiencing homelessness, there
appears to be enough capacity within formal emergency shelters to serve adults
experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region based on historical trends. It should be
emphasized that the ability to accommodate fluctuating numbers within formal
emergency shelters has been assured in Kitchener with the introduction of the Shelter
Overflow and Transition Program at YWCA-Mary’s Place and Charles Street Men’s
4
See Appendix A for more details.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
157
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Hostel in 2005, although the funding for this program is currently time-limited (see
chapter six for more information).
In 2005/2006, only one Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold site was running slightly
above capacity at 102% average occupancy, while the other nine sites were running
under capacity at percentages that varied from a low of 43% to a high of 91%. Women’s
Crisis Services has identified that they are often at or over capacity, at which point
women are offered temporary accommodation on couches, are referred to other safe
shelters in the Province, or are referred to YWCA-Mary’s Place if the woman is not in
imminent danger.
The majority of individuals using formal emergency shelter services for people
experiencing homelessness stayed for less than three weeks on average, with families
tending to use services for longer periods of time. There was an average of twenty bed
nights per individual using Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold in 2005/20065.
The majority of individuals and families using formal emergency shelter services for
people experiencing homelessness had only one intake – that is, they were
experiencing one-time homelessness. A much smaller proportion of individuals and
families experienced persistent homelessness (15%). Please see chapter three for
more information about one-time, episodic and persistent homelessness.
It was estimated that around 35-40% of people experiencing homelessness using
formal emergency shelter services in Waterloo Region have mental health issues; this
estimate increased to about 80% for guests of Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold.
Therefore, it appears that mental health issues are more common among guests of
Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold than among residents of the formal emergency
shelters. At Charles Street Men’s Hostel and YWCA-Mary’s Place it was estimated that
25% of their residents have substance use issues, where the Cambridge Shelter
estimated that 75% of their residents have substance use issues and Kitchener5
Number of bed nights in 2005/2006 was divided by estimated number of unique individuals served.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
158
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Waterloo Out of the Cold estimated that 80% of their guests have substance use issues.
Based on these data, it appears that more people with substance use issues are
accessing the formal emergency shelter located in Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo
Out of the Cold rather than the two formal emergency shelters located in Kitchener.
However, the fact that agencies have not established common definitions in this area
likely accounts for the large range in reported numbers served with substance use
issues. It is also understood that there are differences between agencies in terms of
internal emergency shelter policies, where Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold, the
Cambridge Shelter and YWCA-Mary's Place adopt a harm reduction approach in their
service provision, and Charles Street Men’s Hostel has strict rules about admitting
males under the influence of substances. These policy differences may also have an
impact on the number of people served with active substance use issues at each
agency.
Finally, in terms of estimated prevalence of people with disabilities, YWCA-Mary’s Place
indicated that about half of their residents have various forms of disabilities and the
Cambridge Shelter estimated that about 20% of their clientele had developmental
disabilities.
Local policies and service provision for specific populations or situations
In 2006, formal emergency shelters serving people experiencing homelessness
answered several key questions concerning their policies (e.g., How does someone
access services? Does it cost anything? Can people use substances? Are people
banned? Is there a curfew? How long can people stay? Are the shelters ever “full”? Do
people have privacy? How are people helped?). A full summary of this information can
be found in Appendix B.
Emergency shelters provide services to specific populations (e.g., families, couples,
people with substance use issues, people with disabilities, ethno-cultural groups,
Aboriginal people, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered [GLBT] individuals) and
consider various circumstances differently (e.g., residents with personal pets and
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
159
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
extreme weather conditions). A summary of this information is provided below; for more
information, see Appendix C.
Families
While Waterloo Region does not have a family-specific emergency shelter for people
experiencing homelessness, families have always been accommodated (although not
always in ideal conditions – which surfaced as a theme in the qualitative research
conducted for this project, see CREHS, 2005). While the primary emergency shelter
serving families over the years has been YWCA-Mary’s Place, it should be noted that
they have only had the ability to serve families with older males beginning in 2001 when
a self-contained family unit was created. A brief history of the evolution of emergency
shelter services for families experiencing homelessness follows below.
Between 1987 and 1989, the need for emergency shelter for families was explored for
those that were unable to be accommodated by YWCA-Mary’s Place, including two
parent families and male-led families (Regional Municipality of Waterloo, 1988). At the
time, YWCA-Mary’s Place was serving approximately forty-two families per year.
Families with older males were divided between emergency shelters, placed in motels,
or housed in the Region’s former Emergency Houses (as outlined below). The
discussions at that time with respect to how to serve families focussed primarily on
emergency houses rather than shelter. While it was determined that the best approach
would be to create permanent housing, no funding source could be identified.
Between 1983 and 1994, the Region acquired homes for future engineering needs,
such as road widening and used them for family emergency housing; with anywhere
from two to seven houses used for this purpose during this period. Over time, it was
determined that this approach was unsuitable due to the lack of support provided to the
families during their stay. In reality, the houses were more transitional housing in nature
and left YWCA-Mary’s Place and motels as the only resources for real emergencies
(Regional Municipality of Waterloo, 1988; Regional Municipality of Waterloo, 1994).
While current practice at the Region is to rent these houses at market rates, one
exception to this practice concerns Lutherwood’s Families in Transition Program, where
homes are used for families without permanent housing for a period of up to three
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
160
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
months (see chapter six for more information). In 2003, one of the Region’s homes was
used for this program and two homes were added in 2004.
Three family units were opened in February 2006 at the Cambridge Shelter. In the first
ten months of operation, 27 families with 73 children have been served. As noted by the
Executive Director of the Cambridge Shelter, the family units are “nearly always full” (A.
Tinker, personal communication, December 7, 2006).
Motels with efficiency units (i.e., with kitchens, if available) are being used by YWCAMary’s Place and the Region to accommodate families with older males and for all
family types during times of overflow from the emergency shelters. During the time a
woman from YWCA-Mary’s Place is housed in a motel, she is provided with bus tickets
to get back and forth from the motel to the emergency shelter where they receive meals
and support. While motel accommodations offer privacy, these facilities are typically
inaccessible to schools and other amenities. Therefore, they tend to isolate the family
from community resources, particularly in the absence of transportation. In addition, unit
availability is not guaranteed as the shelters are not given preferential treatment by the
motels.
The renovations to YWCA-Mary’s Place (to be completed in 2007) will help to address
some of the concerns noted in the qualitative research conducted for this project
concerning the “lack of appropriate emergency shelter for families”. For example,
although one interview participant had “expressed concern at having to [stay] with her
children in the volatile, unpredictable shelter environment”, following renovations at
YWCA-Mary’s Place, families seeking emergency shelter will have access to selfcontained family units that can accommodate all types of families, even father-led
families (which was reported as a “growing number” in the qualitative research
conducted for this project).
Demand for emergency shelter services for families experiencing homelessness was
also highlighted in the qualitative research conducted for this project. Although service
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
161
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
providers indicated that numbers of families requiring emergency shelter services had
increased, in fact, the number of families seeking emergency shelter services has
fluctuated over time. Over the past six years, YWCA-Mary’s Place served the lowest
number of families at twenty-nine in 1999 and the highest number of families at 131 in
2002 (Regional Municipality of Waterloo, 2006f). Fluctuations in numbers relate largely
to times in which increasing numbers of immigrant families were using shelter services,
partly due to the difficulty of finding affordable, appropriate housing (M. Wallenius,
personal communication, 2006). In 2006, the capacity for serving families experiencing
homelessness at YWCA-Mary’s Place was seven families without older males and four
families of any configuration (M. Wallenius, personal communication, 2006). Families
can also be served at the Cambridge Shelter in one of their three family units (A. Tinker,
personal communication, 2006). In addition, Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo
Region serves up to twenty-seven families fleeing women abuse (fifteen at Anselma
House [M. Ingram-Smith, personal communication, September 1, 2006] and twelve at
Haven House [T. Shea, personal communication, September 1, 2006])6.
Couples
Emergency shelters currently do not serve couples without children as a distinct family.
Emergency shelters that serve a single sex may serve same-sex couples within the
same building. The Cambridge Shelter and Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold serve
mixed genders allowing opposite-sex couples to stay within the same building.
Pets
Emergency shelters are currently unable to accommodate pets with the exception of
service dogs. Women’s Crisis Services has a protocol in place with the K-W Humane
Society to have pets accommodated while women and families are staying at the
emergency shelter.
Persons with substance use issues
Many people who are experiencing homelessness (particularly those who are
experiencing persistent homelessness) in Waterloo Region have substance use issues.
6
Although youth are out of scope for this report, it should be mentioned that maternity homes across the
region can provide short-term housing for ten young pregnant and parenting women (ages 16-25).
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
162
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
The Region’s Emergency Shelter Guidelines (2004) state that “people who are
[experiencing homelessness], like other members of our community, may use
substances (e.g., drugs, alcohol) to varying degrees. Everyone should be entitled to
shelter service whether or not they use substances… there may be services restrictions
based on actions that seriously compromise the safety and security of the resident,
other residents, staff/volunteers and/or the facility”. Although emergency shelters such
as Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold, YWCA-Mary’s Place and the Cambridge Shelter
do provide some level of service within the harm reduction continuum, there is currently
no form of emergency shelter (or housing) that appropriately addresses the needs of
people who have substance use issues experiencing persistent homelessness.
People with disabilities
People with disabilities are to be accommodated within the existing formal emergency
shelters as outlined in the Region’s Emergency Shelter Guidelines (2004). Emergency
shelters have various capacities to serve those with disabilities in times of emergency.
Most are able to serve people with disabilities to some degree either in the shelter itself
or in motels (see Appendix C for more information).
Ethno-cultural groups
Although not specifically identified under access issues within the Region’s Emergency
Shelter Guidelines (2004), ethno-cultural groups, as with all people protected under
Human Rights legislation, are to be accommodated within the existing formal
emergency shelters. Accommodating people from various cultures is addressed within
the Region’s Emergency Shelter Guidelines (2004) as it relates to food requirements
and marking special cultural holidays. Formal and other recognized emergency shelter
services have the ability to accommodate people from various ethno-cultural groups and
do so in various ways (see Appendix C for more information).
Aboriginal population
Aboriginal people, as with all people protected under Human Rights legislation, are to
be accommodated within existing formal emergency shelters as outlined in the Region’s
Emergency Shelter Guidelines (2004). However, shelters have identified that they do
not offer any cultural-specific services for Aboriginal people.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
163
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) individuals
GLBT individuals are to be accommodated within existing formal emergency shelters as
outlined in the Region’s Emergency Shelter Guidelines (2004). The formal and other
recognized emergency shelters have the ability to accommodate GLBT individuals (see
Appendix C for more information).
Emergency shelter in extreme weather
In extreme cold, emergency shelters can activate the Waterloo Region Social Service
and Emergency Medical Services Cold Weather Protocol (Protocol), which is in effect
from November 1st to April 15th of each year. The Protocol outlines how the Region can
assist agencies that serve people experiencing homelessness during extreme cold
weather conditions, identified as periods when the temperature is -15 degrees Celsius
or lower and/or when the wind chill factor will be -15 degrees Celsius or lower and/or
when there is freezing rain. Emergency shelters may access resources from the Region
through the Protocol to expand capacity or eligibility criteria (and other actions) to
protect people experiencing homelessness in the event of extreme cold weather.
Emergency shelters determine their own internal policies regarding their identification
and response to extreme cold and hot weather. The Region is not responsible for an
extreme heat protocol; there currently is not one in place for the community.
Promising principles and practices
A strategic review of the literature was conducted in early 2006 to determine what could
be learned about emergency shelter services and the role they play in addressing
homelessness in other communities. The objective was to find out what key promising
principles and practices are important.
There appears to be limited literature on promising
“Many of the study participants who
principles and practices for emergency shelters. This
have had experience staying in
may be attributed to the fact that emergency shelters
[emergency] shelters or [at Out of
are seen as a temporary measure, where research
the Cold sites] expressed concern
has
focussed
However,
more
interesting
on
permanent
information
solutions.
regarding
for their personal safety and the
security of their belongings.”
CREHS, 2005
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
164
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
emergency shelters was gleaned from a number of reports as well as locally gathered
data through the qualitative research component of this project (see CREHS, 2005) and
several emergency shelter guidelines focus groups held in 2004 (see Appendix D). Five
themes were developed from this literature review: the importance of fostering a sense
of safety; service specific needs of transgendered individuals; planning, funding and
evaluation; coordination of services; and interaction between local shelters.
Fostering a sense of safety
Safety in emergency shelters emerged as an issue in both the qualitative research
conducted for this project and in the emergency shelter guidelines focus groups; it was
also the focus of recommendations made in the Mayor’s Homelessness Action Task
Force (1999) report. Moreover, the Homelessness Advisory Group echoed the
importance of ensuring personal safety and the perceived lack thereof at certain
shelters in Waterloo Region, during feedback sessions for this report. It is not surprising
that people experience safety and security issues when they are without a home and
are in an unfamiliar space, particularly when they have little control over their new
environment. Guarantees of personal safety, having a safe and secure place to store
belongings, cleanliness and creating a welcoming atmosphere are all important aspects
to consider when addressing this issue, as documented in locally gathered data.
Themes with respect to improving safety in emergency shelters have been categorized
into four main areas: addressing violent behaviour, staffing, physical layout and
resources and other residents. Each is discussed in more detail below.
Addressing violent behaviour
In the emergency shelter guideline focus groups, all groups supported the idea that no
weapons should be permitted within the emergency shelters and that people who are
violent toward others (i.e., physically or verbally aggressive), display threatening
behaviour (intent to harm), or bully others should not be allowed access to an
emergency shelter. At least one person in every group mentioned that residents should
be asked to leave if they are violent (e.g., if they are fighting, are verbally or physically
abusive, or are demonstrating threatening behaviour). One group mentioned that some
acts of violence warrant a warning first, but that behaviour which seriously threatens
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
165
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
safety deserves an immediate withdrawal from the emergency shelter. A few
participants offered other points of view on this topic; for example, some participants felt
that verbal violence or aggression was not a reason to ask someone to leave, but that
this type of behaviour should be addressed. Findings from the qualitative research
conducted for this project noted that both service providers and service users suggested
stricter rules to increase personal safety and security. For example, some service users
wished for more stringent enforcement of rules related to fighting at Out of the Cold
sites.
Staffing
Staffing was regarded as a strong factor related to feeling safe at the emergency
shelters in both the emergency shelter guideline focus groups and the qualitative
research conducted for this project. Emergency shelter guideline focus group
participants frequently noted that staff and volunteers need to be well trained and one
group mentioned that, in particular, more support and resources are needed for staff
around mental health issues. Participants wanted rules to be applied consistently (this
was also found in the qualitative research conducted for this project pertaining to Out of
the Cold sites), they wanted all residents to be treated equally (i.e., no favouritism) and
they wanted staff to also follow the rules. Some participants noted that there needs to
be adequate numbers of staff and/or volunteers, although one group indicated that
human resources should consist of more paid staff and fewer volunteers. Staff members
that are trustworthy, confident (“which makes residents feel confident”), respectful,
courteous, compassionate, involved in what is happening at the shelter and who show
leadership were regarded as assets toward fostering safety at the emergency shelters.
One group also noted that, if theft occurs, it is important to have an appropriate staff
response (i.e., not to ignore it). Two groups mentioned that knowing staff personally and
having consistency with volunteers and staff was important. Two groups also mentioned
the importance of staff helping residents to understand the expectations and authority
structure at emergency shelters.
Findings from the qualitative research conducted for this project highlighted the
importance of building staff capacity at emergency shelters (e.g., “more training for staff
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
166
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
and volunteers to ensure that they are compassionate and respectful”) – a theme that is
explored in more detail in chapter four. Also in this qualitative research, Out of the Cold
volunteers regarded the welcoming staff as a key reason why service users choose to
stay at their sites rather than a formal emergency shelter.
Physical layout and resources
Several suggestions were made at the emergency shelter guideline focus groups
concerning physical layout of the building and resources to increase feelings of safety
and security. These included: having secure doors to the shelters and bedrooms;
increasing privacy in the bathrooms by ensuring that the locks and stall doors are
working; having more space between beds; providing lockers or safety deposit boxes
with individual keys; and, in some cases, having a security person. Similar findings were
highlighted in the qualitative research conducted for this project, where possible
solutions to this issue included lockers, locks for bedrooms and more space between
beds. The Homelessness Advisory Group, when consulted on the findings of this report,
emphasized that shared accommodation in emergency shelters has created significant
challenges for many residents and that private rooms were preferred.
It was also mentioned in the emergency shelter guideline focus groups that guests
should be signed in by a current resident to prevent people from “just walking in”.
Another group mentioned that staff should not be able to enter their rooms without first
knocking. The Charles Street Men’s Hostel group mentioned that they are
uncomfortable with drug dealers who are threatening and use the phone to make drug
deals. The YWCA-Mary’s Place group mentioned that separate sleeping areas for men
and women and separate space for adults and children increase feelings of safety at
emergency shelters (separating parents with children from the rest of the residents was
also suggested in the qualitative research conducted for this project).
Other residents
Other residents also play an important role in the level of safety and security
experienced by emergency shelter residents. For example, it was noted in the
emergency shelter guideline focus groups that unpredictable or bizarre behaviours such
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
167
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
as yelling, biting and/or aggression caused concern for residents and data from
interviews with Out of the Cold guests conducted as part of this project’s qualitative
study highlighted tension among residents (e.g., some guests felt vulnerable to abuse
from others, others were unhappy with the amount of swearing). One of the reasons
why members of the Homelessness Advisory Group noted the importance of providing
single rooms was because of the problems that arise between residents in shared living
environments. Both sources of local qualitative data found that problems sometimes
arise between older and younger emergency shelters residents/guests.
More specifically, it was noted in the qualitative research conducted for this project that
the behaviour of people with mental health issues is “a significant contributor to an
unpredictable and sometimes frightening atmosphere in the [emergency] shelters and
[at Out of the Cold sites]”. Two of the emergency shelter guideline focus groups also
mentioned concerns about people who have mental health issues in the emergency
shelters. A parallel theme was identified in the qualitative research conducted for this
project related to people with
“Make sure there is nobody pushing drugs around there. When
substance use issues, which
stated that “for many of the
study’s
participants,
I was staying there, there was so much of that stuff and I have
seen good friends of mine came in there with trying to make the
the
best of it and get back on their feet and now they are addicted
presence and tolerance of
to some pretty heavy drugs.” Out of the Cold guest, Cambridge
substance use in [emergency] shelters and [at Out of the Cold sites] is seen as a major
contributor to a chaotic and volatile atmosphere”. Stricter enforcement of rules
prohibiting substances and substance use in emergency shelters was suggested as a
possible solution to this problem.
The importance of ensuring a welcoming atmosphere at the emergency shelters was
raised at two emergency shelter guidelines focus groups as well, illustrated by
examples such as: where people say “hi”’, where people are not “high and mighty” and
where one can find friendly faces. Two other groups from the same data set noted that
being with peers and having opportunities for discussion with them was important.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
168
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Transgendered individuals
The vast majority of literature related to the GLBT population and emergency shelters
within the scope of this report (i.e., adults) focussed on transgendered individuals.
There were many issues noted for this group, including those related to access, safety
and health. Most emergency shelter services are segregated by sex, where access
and/or placement at these facilities is typically based on assumptions about a person’s
sex (i.e., people are either male or female). Many facilities also have rules about
gender-related dress or appearance. As a result, transgendered individuals who identify
as or express a gender that is different from their birth sex can experience extreme
difficulties in obtaining adequate and safe shelter (Mottet & Ohle, 2003).
Specific access barriers have been documented in Trans Programming at the 519
(2005). In that report, it was outlined how people who are male-to-female transgendered
are often refused access to emergency shelter services because they are not seen as
being “real women” and that a number of restrictions or conditions are typically placed
on transgendered women to gain access to women’s facilities. For example, some
emergency shelters may only permit access to people who have had genital surgery or
who present in female clothing all the time. Yet, the high cost of sex-reassignment
surgery, electrolysis (to remove facial hair), make-up and female clothing make these
conditions often impossible to fulfill. Likewise, for people who are female-to-male
transgendered, the high cost of chest surgery and the difficulty in getting approval for
testosterone therapy makes passing as a man out of reach for many individuals.
Mottet and Ohle (2003) have identified that some women’s only emergency shelters
may seek to limit access to transgendered women because of the fear that men will
dress in women’s clothing in order to obtain access to women’s shelters for the purpose
of assault or the belief that transgendered women who have not had genital surgery are
a threat to other female residents. However, Mottet and Ohle (2003) have asserted that
these fears and beliefs are unfounded: transgendered women are no more or less
dangerous than any other resident and it is not fair or correct to assume that just
because a person is transgendered and has male genitals that they are a physical
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
169
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
threat to others. Furthermore, emergency shelters that have adopted policies accepting
transgendered women report that they have not had an increase in the number of
assaults as a result. Mottel and Ohle (2003) also noted that, in fact, there is a higher risk
of offences being committed against transgendered people than vice versa. For
example, transgendered men (born female but identify and live as men) who are
permitted access to men’s facilities, but are expected to shower in open showers with
other men, have an increased likelihood of being harassed or attacked by fellow male
residents. Moreover, transgendered women (born male but identify and live as women)
risk verbal, physical and sexual harassment or assault when they are denied access to
women’s shelters and are required to room with other men.
The following strategies were recommended to meet the specific needs of
transgendered individuals:
Increasing safety
The single most important strategy that an emergency shelter should adopt to make the
shelter safe for transgendered people is to understand and implement a policy of
respect, as outlined by Mottel and Ohle (2003). First, people should be treated
according to their self identified gender; that is, staff members and fellow residents
should refer to transgendered individuals by the correct pronoun. In cases where
gender identity is not evident (e.g., the individual is neither male nor female, has a
gender expression that is a little bit of both, or lives only part-time in his or her new
gender), staff members should ask the person how he or she would like to be referred
and whether he or she would prefer to be housed with women or with men. Second,
emergency shelters should create a safety zone. If the emergency shelter has an area
with semi-private rooms, this space should be offered to any individual who has greater
safety concerns. Third, staff members should always address harassment of
transgendered residents by focusing on the inappropriate behaviour and enforcing a
zero-tolerance policy against discrimination. (See chapter four for more information
about strategies to mitigate discrimination and stigma for other groups experiencing or
at-risk of homelessness.)
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
170
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Policies
It is also important to have policies in writing so all staff members have access to them,
even during times of staff turn-over (Trans Programming at the 519, 2005 & Mottet &
Ohle, 2003). For example, all emergency shelters should establish policies around
confidentiality. Transgendered individuals should never be required to disclose their
status. However, if they do disclose their status, maintaining confidentiality about this
information is important to prevent or minimize the potential of discrimination,
harassment, or violence. Some emergency shelters have applied the same rules about
residents’ transgendered status as they do about medical conditions, so that only staff
members who need to know such privileged information are provided access. It is
important to ask transgendered individuals how they would like the topic to be
addressed if it is raised (Mottet & Ohle, 2003). Another example is with dress codes;
they should be fairly and equally applied to everyone (e.g., a simple policy may be a
rule that everyone must cover certain areas of the body, regardless of their sexual
orientation) (Mottet & Ohle, 2003).
Intake
Emergency shelters should change their intake procedures so that they ask new
residents how they identify themselves: male, female, transsexual, or transgendered.
For example, intake forms can ask how new residents identify themselves and include a
sentence that specifically indicates that people with diverse gender identity expression
are welcome. This allows transgendered individuals to disclose their status and ask for
services they might need. It also creates an opportunity for all residents to be educated
about the policy of inclusiveness adopted by the emergency shelter. Intake staff should
be prepared to discuss the following topics with transgendered individuals: preferred
name and pronoun, preferred placement, level of privacy required for showering and
bathroom use, any safety concerns and confidentiality (Trans Programming at the 519,
2005; Mottet & Ohle, 2003).
Understanding transgendered-specific issues
Emergency shelter staff should be fully informed about several areas that impact the
lives of transgendered individuals, including: legal issues surrounding changing a
person’s name and gender, non-discrimination laws and whether agencies in the
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
171
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
community follow them and health issues (e.g., surgery, hormone therapy and other
treatments, HIV/AIDS, etc.) (Mottet & Ohle, 2003). It is very important to acknowledge
that changing one’s name or gender status legally, following through with various
hormone therapies and/or other treatments, attending regular doctor and counselling
appointments, etc. can be quite overwhelming for transgendered individuals. In many
cases, these tasks often need to be completed prior to pursuing other goals such as
housing, employment and education (Trans Programming at the 519, 2005).
Funding, evaluation and planning
Toronto is home to seventy-two (46%) of the 158 emergency shelters across Ontario
(Ontario Municipal Social Services Association, 2006). As the biggest system in the
province, Toronto has conducted several reviews of its emergency shelter services
through such documents as the Mayor’s Homelessness Action Task Force (1999), the
Multi-Year Shelter Strategy (2002) and the City of Toronto Auditor General’s Hostel
Operations Review (2004). As some interesting points have been made in these reports
regarding funding, evaluation and planning of emergency shelter services, they are
reviewed briefly below. Several of the themes raised by these reports have also been
identified as critical areas of concern for the housing stability system as a whole (see
chapter four). However, specific and noteworthy references have been made to
emergency shelters in particular; therefore, the discussion is repeated in this chapter as
well.
Funding
It has long been advocated that the maximum per diem set by the Province is
inadequate in meeting actual costs of emergency shelter operations. In 2004, OMSSA
struck a task force to “develop one or more service delivery models and resulting
funding models to ensure an adequate and safe emergency shelter system in response
to community need” (p. 1). The report released in March 2006 entitled Emergency
Shelter Services: More Than Just a Bed (Ontario Municipal Social Services Association,
2006) quantified that the per diem rate set by the Province does not cover the costs of
what it is intended to cover (room and board) and does not take into account fixed
operating costs. In addition, it identified that case management services have become a
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
172
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
necessary feature of emergency shelter operations given the complex characteristics of
the residents being served. As a result, the report made five recommendations: 1)
adoption of a new definition, vision statement and service delivery principles for
shelters; 2) creation of a new service delivery model; 3) adoption of a new funding
framework; 4) establishment of a provincial/municipal working group to establish a new
funding model; and 5) immediate increases to the per diem. It is expected that with
additional funding comes increased accountability; the report also identified the need to
develop more measurable outcomes within its proposed funding framework.
The issue of emergency shelter funding also surfaced as a theme in the qualitative data
gathered for this project. Service providers who participated in the study called for more
resources because current funding arrangements
do not meet the needs of residents experiencing
“Service providers who participated
in this study raised the need for
homelessness or cover all the costs associated with
more funding and staff for
operating emergency shelter services in Waterloo
[emergency] shelters and many of
Region. Out of the Cold volunteers and Steering
the needs and solutions identified by
Committee
members
echoed
this
statement.
Moreover, service provider participants noted that
all participants suggest the same.”
CREHS, 2005
independent fundraising is time-consuming, that it is difficult to do successfully on behalf
of stigmatized groups (such as sex trade workers and people with substance use and/or
mental health issues) and that it puts emergency shelters in competition with one
another. The effects of inadequate funding were also highlighted: From the perspective
of service providers, insufficient funding was regarded as “a primary contributor to a lack
of cleanliness and consequently to increased risk for outbreaks of infectious disease at
[emergency] shelters.”
Evaluation
In order to measure outcomes, data collection methods must be in place. The City of
Peterborough (2004) has identified that it is useful to collect client profiles including age,
gender, reason for intake, disposition of the case, history of residing in the county,
sources of income, level of education, current health needs and client requested
services to understand who uses emergency shelter services, why people experience
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
173
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
homelessness, the need for additional services and where people go when they leave
the emergency shelter. This type of information is just beginning to be reliably collected
through HIFIS (the national data management system) in Waterloo Region. However,
beyond basic data collection, very little is in place to assess the needs of people
experiencing homelessness or to asses the effectiveness of support programs and
services administered by emergency shelters (City of Toronto, 2004; Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation, 2001).
Planning
Emergency shelters have been forced to meet the demand for services resulting from
an overall increase in the incidence of homelessness and the shortage of supportive
and low-cost housing (Mayor’s Homelessness Action Task Force, 1999). Due to these
gaps in the housing stability system, emergency shelter services have grown and the
average length of stay has been extended (Mayor’s Homelessness Action Task Force,
1999). Given that the Province provides funding for an unlimited number of beds
(subject only to a cap on the maximum per diem amount) (City of Toronto, 2004) and
thus provides an open and available funding source, it has been documented that the
tendency in the housing stability system is to expand emergency shelter programs
rather than explore other, more appropriate, options (City of Toronto, 2004).
In 2004, Toronto Council did not approve a recommendation made by the Multi-Year
Shelter Strategy (2002) to expand emergency shelter services by approximately 300
beds (City of Toronto, 2004). Rather, Council suggested that a number of permanent
housing alternatives for long-term shelter residents should be explored prior to
considering expansion of emergency shelter services (City of Toronto, 2004). This
recommendation was similar to that of the Mayor’s Homelessness Action Task Force
(1999) with the added caveat that resources to help people find and maintain
permanent housing be provided and that halting expansion of emergency shelter
services be subject to a sufficient supply of supportive and low-cost housing.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
174
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Coordination of services
Developing strong links and partnerships within the community has been recognized as
an important strategy in meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness
(Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 2001). While coordination of services has
been identified as a critical point of interest for the housing stability system as a whole
(see chapter four), emergency shelters have a key role to play in the system and,
therefore, the discussion is repeated in this chapter as well.
Several sources have substantiated the need for better coordination of services
between emergency shelters and other mainstream systems. For example, it has been
reported by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (2003) and McKibbon
Wakefield Inc. (2001) that emergency shelters have seen an increase in the number of
people being discharged from hospitals directly to emergency shelters in cases where
the individuals are too sick or weak to return to their previous accommodation (e.g.,
single room occupancy hotels, friends’ couches, the street). In effect, this has placed
pressure on emergency shelters to fill the current gap in convalescent care. As reported
by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (2003a), the response of some
emergency shelters has been to develop criteria that essentially refuse referrals from
hospitals because they simply do not have the resources to assist residents with
aspects of daily living. The need for better discharge planning from hospitals and
correctional institutions was also documented in the qualitative data of this project by
service providers, Out of the Cold volunteers and Out of the Cold Steering Committee
members. As noted in the summary of services provider data, “having nowhere to go
and often without so much as a piece of identification, many people discharged from jail
[or] psychiatric hospitals… very quickly end up on the street and sleeping in the
[emergency] shelters and [at] Out of the Cold [sites]”. Local service providers have also
noted that people are often released from custody without their personal belongings; for
example, their identification may be kept in Milton while they are transferred home. This
presents a significant challenge for people without the means to get transportation to
and from Milton in order to secure their belongings (R. Flaming, January 18, 2007).
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
175
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
The Mayor’s Homelessness Action Task Force (1999) made two suggestions with
respect to increasing coordination of services between emergency shelters and other
services across the housing stability system and/or mainstream systems: that more
formal, consistent links should be developed in the form of written policies and that a
clearer, strengthened role is created for drop-ins, street patrols and other outreach
services linked to emergency shelters to encourages better staff exchanges. These
strategies are supported by the qualitative research conducted for this project, where
service providers noted that there needs to be more effective communication and
linkage between formal emergency shelters and Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold, as
well as between emergency shelters and other programs that serve people that are atrisk of or experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region.
Interaction between local emergency shelters
There are three main interactions that occur between emergency shelter services in
Waterloo Region – those between formal emergency shelters for people experiencing
homelessness, those between emergency shelters for women feeling women abuse
and those that serve women experiencing homelessness and those between formal
emergency shelters serving people experiencing homelessness and Out of the Cold.
Interaction between formal emergency shelters serving people experiencing
homelessness
Emergency shelters within the formal shelter services in Waterloo Region meet
regularly and provide mutual support and cross-referrals where appropriate. In the past,
these agencies have had little impact on one another because they served different
genders. However, with the addition of the Cambridge Shelter, it is now possible that
more people of both genders will move between Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge to
access different emergency shelters.
Interaction between women fleeing women abuse and facilities for people experiencing
homelessness
A lack of beds at Women’s Crisis Services has had an impact on formal emergency
shelter services. In cases where Women’s Crisis Services is unable to accommodate
women within their mandate for emergency shelter, women who are not in “imminent
danger” are referred to formal emergency shelter services for people experiencing
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
176
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
homelessness. In addition, Waterloo Region does not have shelter for women who are
fleeing violence from a non-intimate partner (e.g., violence from roommates, from others
on the street) and, as a result, many of these women are also referred to YWCA-Mary’s
Place (C. Middleton, personal communication, November 6, 2006). Yet, YWCA-Mary’s
Place is not specifically mandated or funded to serve women fleeing women abuse or
other threats of harm or abuse; they do not have the appropriate skills and resources,
nor do they have necessary security measures, to assist women in imminent danger. In
light of this, it has been agreed that women who are in imminent danger must be
accommodated by Women’s Crisis Services (Intershelter Protocol Meeting, February 5,
2004). Nevertheless, it has been estimated that 37% of the women who stayed at
YWCA-Mary’s Place in 2004 had experienced current or past violence (M. Wallinus,
personal communication, 2006).
The greatest access barrier arises when a woman who is in imminent danger seeks
emergency shelter services, but Women’s Crisis Services is full or unable to
accommodate her and the woman can’t or doesn’t want to leave the region. In these
cases, Women’s Crisis Services tries to provide support where they can, for example
she may be accommodated through short-term stays in motels (where funding from
fundraised dollars permit) (Intershelter Protocol Meeting, February 5, 2004). Other
reasons why women may not be able to access emergency shelters services (either
through YWCA-Mary’s Place or Women’s Crisis Services) have been documented in an
Intershelter Protocol meeting (February 5, 2004). These reasons are outlined below.
Reasons why YWCA-Mary’s Place may be unable to provide emergency shelter
services:
ƒ
The woman is fleeing violence and is in immanent danger, thus placing other
residents at-risk (this will be addressed somewhat through enhanced security
measures with renovations expected to be completed in 2007)
ƒ
The woman already has service restrictions and requires planned intake
ƒ
The woman is medically fragile and/or requires medications to be monitored and
does not have previously arranged support (i.e., through the Community Care
Access Centre [CCAC])
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
177
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
ƒ
The woman has a male child over age 10 and the family unit is occupied
ƒ
The woman engages in actions that put herself, other residents, or staff at-risk
Reasons why Women’s Crisis Services may be unable to provide emergency shelter
services:
ƒ
The woman does not meet mandate of experience with current or past violence
ƒ
The facility is full and they are unable to accommodate elsewhere
ƒ
The woman already has service restrictions and requires planned intake
ƒ
The woman is medically fragile and/or requires medications to be monitored and
does not have previously arranged support (i.e., through CCAC)
ƒ
The women has a male child over age 16
ƒ
The woman engages in actions that put herself, other residents, or staff at-risk
ƒ
The woman is under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs
A referral protocol between Women’s Crisis Services and YWCA-Mary’s Place was first
created in 1996 and was updated in 2004. With the addition of a new shelter in
Cambridge, there will now be a need to develop a referral protocol between Women’s
Crisis Services and the Cambridge Shelter.
Interactions between formal emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness
and Out of the Cold
At noted previously in this chapter, Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold originally opened
in 1999 to provide shelter to people that were unable to be served by formal emergency
shelter services due to capacity issues and/or the need for service provision utilizing a
harm reduction approach. It was meant to be a short-term solution that has continued
for the last seven years.
The impact of the Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold on formal shelter services is not
entirely clear. While occupancy rates at YWCA-Mary’s Place have typically not been
affected by the opening and closing of the Out of the Cold program each season (M.
Wallanius, personal communication, August 3, 2006), there has been a slight decrease
in average occupancy rates at Charles Street Men’s Hostel during these months (R.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
178
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
Flaming, personal communication, August 21, 2006). However, there may be other
factors at play affecting this slight trend at Charles Street Men’s Hostel, such as
increases in the number of visits with family and friends during the month of December
(R. Flaming, personal communication, August 21, 2006). YWCA-Mary’s Place has
noticed a decrease in faith community donations – particularly from the churches that
are directly involved with Out of the Cold provision (E. Clarke, personal communication,
August 30, 2006). Nevertheless, Out of the Cold has played a positive role in the
community by increasing public attention on homelessness in Waterloo Region, both in
terms of the number of churches and volunteers involved as well as the level of media
attention afforded to this important issue.
Qualitative data gathered for this
project highlighted that many
people
experiencing
home-
“The contradictions in the reasons service users give for
choosing to stay at [Out of the Cold sites] instead of an
[emergency] shelter, or vice versa, suggest that the choice
lessness use both Kitchener-
of where to stay depends a great deal on personal
Waterloo Out of the Cold and
preference and individual needs.” CREHS, 2005
formal emergency shelter services (depending on the circumstances) and that, while
some preferred formal emergency shelters, many also preferred Kitchener-Waterloo
Out of the Cold. Service users indicated their preference for Kitchener-Waterloo Out of
the Cold based on several reasons: people are not required to contribute financially to
their stay (regardless of their ability to pay), people find the social atmosphere to be
warmer (“some volunteers offer a friendly, non-judgemental ear to listen to some of the
guests’ problems”, “guests go to Out of the Cold to meet with friends”), there is less
structure and no rules and because the shelters are often “full”.
Out of the Cold volunteers and Steering Committee members cited similar reasons for
why people may prefer their program (it’s more welcoming, free and has a less
structured atmosphere – e.g., curfews are less strict, intoxication and substance use offpremises is tolerated, people don’t have to fill
“At Out of the Cold [sites], guests can get
out forms), but also further identified that some
a good meal and a place to sleep with no
guests may perceive that Out of the Cold offers
questions asked.” CREHS, 2005
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
179
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
greater anonymity (i.e., “volunteers befriend people and do not ask a lot of questions”),
greater safety and no expectation to commit to any plans (i.e., no responsibility or
accountability). Out of the Cold volunteers and Steering Committee members also noted
that guests used their program because they had service restrictions placed on them by
the emergency shelters or because the emergency shelters were “full”.
Most Out of the Cold guests indicated that they would not stay in the emergency
shelters if Out of the Cold was no longer available – they stated that they would stay,
“Out of the Cold volunteers and Steering
instead, in parks or stairwells, in cars, or with
[Committee] members believe that many
friends or family. A similar statement was made
[people experiencing homelessness]
by Out of the Cold volunteers and Steering
would have a very hard time without Out
Committee members when they were asked the
of the Cold.” CREHS, 2005
same
question,
where
additional
locations
included the streets, on porches, under bridges, in tents, parks, abandoned buildings,
bank kiosks, abandoned trucks, or garbage bins on company lots.
On the other hand, some service users identified that they preferred formal emergency
shelters because of the strong interpersonal connection that residents have with the
supportive staff or volunteers at these facilities and links to support services and
because formal emergency shelters offer more structure, enforce rules more
consistently, are quieter at night and have more amenities such as showers,
“Over here it is a little more leeway. You have
telephones, lockers and laundry. Some
your phone and bed and people you know [and]
service users said that they preferred
staff numbers if you have medical reasons. It is
formal emergency shelters because Out
more convenient here in town. Out of the Cold
of the Cold sites were “too crowded”.
you have to go to churches and carry all your
clothes with you and here you have lockers and
everything else.” Kitchener shelter resident
Service providers who participated in
focus group discussions as part of the
qualitative research conducted for this project expressed ambivalence regarding Out of
the Cold. While some recognized the benefits of Out of the Cold in terms of increasing
access to emergency shelters and relieving some of the pressure with respect to
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
180
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
demand for services, others felt it has a detrimental effect. For example, some service
providers said that Out of the Cold takes the responsibility off of the government and
formal emergency shelter services to address homelessness in the community through
a commitment to longer-term strategies. Other service providers suggested that Out of
the Cold promotes “learned and [persistent] homelessness” because of the lack of
structure and expectations placed on guests and the lack of resources available to help
people experiencing homelessness transition into states of increased housing stability.
The fact that Out of the Cold is not a year-round program was regarded as a further
limitation.
One of the main themes that surfaced in the qualitative data was the perception that
emergency shelters are sometimes “full” and, therefore, people cannot access beds
when they are needed. This was a commonly cited reason for why people used the Out
of the Cold program instead of the formal emergency shelters. Analysis of data from
November 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006 indicated, however, that the Cambridge
Shelter was over its regular capacity only 33% of the time, Charles Street Men’s Hostel
was over its regular capacity only 40% of the time and YWCA-Mary’s Place was over its
regular capacity only 55% of the time. Clearly, then, formal emergency shelters are not
always “full”, even during the cold winter months.
Nevertheless, it is possible that people have been denied access to emergency shelter
beds in the past because the facilities were at or over capacity (and the front-line staff
either didn’t know about the motel overflow option or the program was not yet available).
In addition, it is also possible that people may not have chosen to stay at an emergency
shelter because they perceived it to be too
“I came here because I wanted to make
“crowded”. It is also possible that a person has
sure I can be clean and here they have
had service restrictions from formal emergency
showers and stuff like that and plus they
shelters because they either posed a risk to
make you lunch when you have to go to
themselves or others, or because they were
work… Some [Out of the Cold sites] have
unwilling to work toward identified goals for
increased housing stability.
showers but not all of them have showers
right and plus with here you can rest a lot
sooner as well.” Kitchener shelter resident
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
181
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
With the introduction of the Shelter and Transition Overflow Project in 2005 emergency
shelters in Kitchener now have the capacity to overflow into motels. This essentially
ensures that, as long as the program is funded, no one will be turned away due to lack
of bed availability at those emergency shelters. Nevertheless, it appears that people
would access options outside of formal emergency shelters regardless of capacity
issues because of other key qualitative factors (e.g., not wanting to spend money on
emergency shelter, conflict with staff or other residents, missed curfews, ongoing use of
substances).
Analysis and research insights
Note that several actions for consideration found in chapter four (related to the housing
stability system as a whole) also apply to the need for sustained and enhanced
emergency shelter services.
Are emergency shelters needed in Waterloo Region?
Emergency shelters need to exist in Waterloo Region. Regardless of efforts to prevent
homelessness, there will always be times where people find themselves in a crisis
situation without housing. As such, sustaining and enhancing current emergency shelter
services remains a priority in the housing stability system. Part of the work to sustain
and enhance current emergency shelter services includes ongoing discussions and
advocacy with the Province to increase opportunities for sustainable funding for daily
operations (e.g., increases to the per diem rates).
Action for Consideration 20: a) Review and update the Region’s Emergency Shelter
Guidelines with special attention to:
ƒ
providing safety and security for residents and potential residents;
ƒ
providing choice and autonomy and building capacity wherever possible;
ƒ
adding and augmenting access and service components to address the needs of
the various populations experiencing or at-risk of homelessness as highlighted
within this report;
ƒ
addressing the needs of people with pets;
ƒ
providing adequate storage for residents’ belongings;
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
182
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
ƒ
addressing the need for assistance with moving (e.g., transportation);
ƒ
providing case management; and
ƒ
emergency planning.
b) Increase awareness of the Emergency Shelter Guidelines within the housing
stability system.
Emergency Shelter Guidelines were created in 2004 and implemented in 2005 within
emergency shelters that have a purchase of service agreement with the Region. The
document describes the role of the Region, outlines the role of emergency shelters,
identifies a set of guiding principles and defines guidelines related to both access and
operations. Based on experience with the Emergency Shelter Guidelines to date and
information gathered through this report, it is recommended that the Emergency Shelter
Guidelines be reviewed and updated by the original working group and that all
community stakeholders have the opportunity to provide their input on the revised
document.
Does Waterloo Region have the right amount and the right types of emergency
shelters for adults?
Emergency shelter occupancy in Waterloo Region has been shown to fluctuate, both
between years as well as over the course of a year, with periods of being both over and
under capacity. As such, adding new beds does not appear to be warranted at this time.
Nevertheless, two significant gaps remain: addressing periods of over capacity through
sustainable sources of funding and meeting the needs of those who are currently
underserved by formal emergency shelter services.
As outlined in the Emergency Shelter Guidelines (2004), formal emergency shelters
should ensure that everyone who is in need of emergency shelter has the opportunity to
be accommodated through formal emergency shelter services. At times where formal
emergency shelters have reached the limits of their internal overflow capacity or when
there is a need for special arrangements (e.g., an individual uses a wheelchair, but the
emergency shelter is not accessible), emergency shelters currently utilize motel spaces
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
183
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
to meet the demand for services. The funding for this program (currently provided
through the Shelter Transition Overflow Program) is currently time-limited through SCPI
and ends March 31, 2007.
Action for Consideration 21: Enhance formal emergency shelters’ capacity through
stable, sustainable funding to adhere to the Region’s Emergency Shelter Guidelines
(e.g., provide sustainable resources to enable formal emergency shelters to effectively
use motels or other options at times of overflow and special need circumstances for all
formal emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness in the region).
Kitchener-Waterloo Out of the Cold originally opened in 1999 to provide shelter to
people that were unable to be served by formal emergency shelter services due to
capacity issues and a lack of harm reduction approaches (particularly for those that are
unwilling or unable to access formal emergency shelters). It was meant to be a shortterm solution that has continued for the last seven years. As a seasonal, volunteerbased program that generally meets only basic needs, the program as a whole does not
have the resources to support people to move from homelessness to states of
increased housing stability (sites vary in the number and regularity of complementary
services offered to their guests). It is understood that, at least for some individuals, this
may serve to perpetuate their state of homelessness.
Nevertheless, it has been identified through the qualitative research conducted for this
project that Out of the Cold continues to fulfill unmet needs in the housing stability
system: “Evidence from Out of the Cold guests suggest that many of them would avoid
the [emergency] shelters even if Out of the Cold did not exist. Despite that lack of
amenities, programs and privacy, relative to the formal [emergency] shelters, people
prefer Out of the Cold because it is less formal, does not require a financial contribution
from guests and is more anonymous.” It is understood that one of the key advantages of
the Out of the Cold program is that it provides services through a harm reduction
approach, known to be beneficial for those experiencing persistent homelessness. With
this in mind, addressing the need for enhanced harm reduction approaches has been
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
184
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
identified as priority in 2007 and beyond through several actions for consideration found
within the body of this report:
ƒ
consider adopting the promising principles and practices as outlined for people with
substance use issues and people with disabilities;
ƒ
work towards ensuring that the housing stability system meets the needs of people
experiencing different degrees of homelessness [e.g., persistent homelessness];
ƒ
create a group with a mandate to develop concrete strategies to address persistent
homelessness;
ƒ
explore the development of pre and post substance use treatment facilities in
Waterloo Region (transitional housing and supports); and
ƒ
explore opportunities to ensure that street outreach services use harm reduction
principles.
As the community moves to address unmet needs, partly by moving the insights from
this report into action, it is possible that the demand for Out of the Cold’s overnight
services may decrease. Should this be the case, there are differing opinions regarding
what the next steps would be: Some people believe that Out of the Cold offers a
valuable shelter option, regardless of additional housing and/or services in the
community, while others feel that the program should be phased out in the interest of
using these resources to support services that have a greater focus on housing stability
over the long-term.
Although each church site operates independently, they are loosely coordinated by a
Steering Committee comprised of church representatives. The Kitchener-Waterloo Out
of the Cold Steering Committee provided feedback on the insights generated by this
report and helped to shape how these insights might be translated into action items for
the future. At a meeting held on June 12, 2006 (where all sites were represented except
Friday, Saturday and Monday) sites were asked to comment on whether or not the
church sites would continue to operate in the event that permanent, accessible “harm
reduction housing” was developed for their service clientele: “All present agreed in
principle [that], if shelter and housing were available as set out in the [current report],
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
185
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
that [Out of the Cold sites] would support transitioning out of overnight accommodation”
(R. Hickey, personal communication, 2006). The Steering Committee has identified that
many sites cannot sustain the resources necessary to continue offering overnight
services and has requested that action be taken by the community in this regard (R.
Hickey, personal communication, 2006). At a previous consultation meeting held with
the Region on May 30, 2006, Out of the Cold volunteers and Steering Committee
members highlighted that they are at a point where significant additional resources
would be required to replace their mats, cots, fridges and stoves for the sites to continue
offering overnight accommodation. They also emphasized that many sites were
experiencing substantial challenges with recruiting and sustaining their overnight
volunteers; at times, they said that volunteers felt that their safety was being
compromised. The consensus around the table was that it would be very important to
have assurance that the new program(s) were addressing the needs of their former
guests prior to closing their doors (i.e., that people with substance use and/or mental
health issues and poor life skills who tend to experience persistent homelessness would
have somewhere to go). As shared by several Out of the Cold representatives: “if it’s
packaged right and people are looked after okay… getting rid of the overnights is great”.
Another site representative stated plainly that, “This is what we’ve been waiting for”.
While it is understood that the Steering Committee does not have the mandate to speak
on behalf of all Out of the Cold sites, it is useful to know that some sites would be in
favour of alternate service provision if another approach was able to close the gaps
identified in the current formal emergency shelter system.
Will expansion of existing shelters or new shelters be required in the future to
keep pace with growth?
It is not possible to predict the level of homelessness and the need for shelter services
in the future as it is dependent on many other factors such as the availability of
affordable housing and other services in the community. Nevertheless, as illustrated
through the findings of this report, expanding emergency shelter services is neither a
cost-effective nor an appropriate approach to supporting people experiencing
homelessness. Overall, it contributes very little to ending homelessness. Resources
should instead be focused on sustaining, enhancing and expanding shorter term
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
186
Chapter 5: Emergency Shelter Services – System Component
housing stability programs and housing with support services so that shelters can serve
the role for which they were intended.
It is therefore recommended that the current number of emergency shelter beds for
adults within formal emergency shelter services be maintained (despite expected levels
of growth) and that other solutions to homelessness be prioritized. The only exception to
this would be the addition of a program with a permanent housing component that
addresses the needs of people experiencing persistent homelessness.
Understanding Homelessness and Housing Stability Experienced by Adults in Waterloo Region’s Urban Areas
187