Officials at the Chatham Hope Haven shelter in downtown Chatham say they are "bursting at the seams" and need a newer, larger building.
Chatham Hope Haven General Manager Loree Bailey told CK News Today they are not actively looking for a new building currently, but all options are on the table, including approaching the Municipality for help.
Bailey noted Hope Haven had nearly 20,000 visits from those experiencing homelessness and poverty last year, almost double the 12,000 visits in 2021. She said the number of people in need at the shelter keeps rising every day and she estimates the influx has not peaked yet.
Bailey said the demand for the shelter has outgrown its building at 183 Wellington Street West in Chatham and a larger building would make it easier to increase services to handle the current 60-70 people daily. She said the new faces coming into the shelter lately have kick started the conversation about a larger building, adding the current building is a 100 year-old church that comes with some barriers.
"Have we physically started looking for a new building? We haven't. It's just in the last little while that we realized this peak in numbers -- this 60-70 people day -- that's not getting any lower," said Bailey. “[The current building] is located in a premier spot so that folks that need our services and are also accessing other services -- libraries, churches, food programs -- it's all right here for them. Unfortunately, it's an older building and it does have its limitations."
Bailey said more formal plans and proposals are underway.
"We'd be looking for something real creative, either a creative partner or somebody that was willing to give us a break and recognize how big this need is for this community," Bailey said.
Hope Haven has the capacity to open overnight and took in 93 people during the recent Christmas storm, according to Bailey.
Bailey noted a recent municipal partnership has allowed them to pay their staff, but wouldn't say how much they receive per year because it changes depending on the staffing needs. She said the shelter relies on donations for other costs, such as utilities, food, and building maintenance.
Hope Haven began as an emergency overnight shelter with 10 beds six years ago for men experiencing homelessness and since 2020, it has offered a day program for shelter, a hot shower, a meal, laundry, internet, telephone, and a place for men and women to meet with rehousing staff from the municipality.
Bailey also noted that anyone in rural Chatham-Kent communities experiencing homelessness or fearful of falling into homelessness can always contact the Municipality for help because there are no shelters in the outskirts of Chatham.
She said unfortunately for anyone experiencing homelessness in the smaller communities surrounding Chatham, shelters must be centrally located because of limited funding.
Bailey noted Hope Haven will continue operating at its current location if a new building cannot be found.
