The recent winter storm to hit Chatham-Kent (CK) has forced the area's overnight warming centre to become a makeshift shelter.
Chatham Hope Haven helped 106 people on Wednesday and another 111 on Thursday.
The centre is where people can get a hot meal, shower, clean their clothes, and more, but over the last two days it has primarily been used as a place to stay overnight.
Loree Bailey, Hope Haven's General Manager, told CK News Today that nearly everyone who came by when they opened their doors was still there when they closed the next morning.
"(Usually) people would maybe come in around 7 p.m., maybe have something to eat, hang out, be out of the elements, and then go to wherever they're gonna go to retire for the night," she explained.
This wasn't a first for Hope Haven. Ever since they started welcoming people overnight, some would stay as long as possible when it got really cold. This includes some living in tents, as the weather would be too much to bear.
Bailey isn't surprised, as the homeless crisis has only gotten worse.
"Two years ago, we were an emergency service. What we are seeing this year is that we're becoming more of a staple in people's lives," she added,
It also doesn't help that Hope Haven is the only overnight warming centre in CK.
"We're the only place to go. We're not a contingency plan, we are the plan," said Bailey.
In past winters, those living on the streets could use the Victoria Park Place Homeless Shelter. It was replaced earlier this year by the 50 transition cabins.
Renee Geniole, executive director of Reach Out Chatham-Kent (R.O.C.K.), explained that not keeping the shelter cuts the importance of adding the cabins.
"What [the municipality] did was move themselves to one part of the housing continuum to another. They went from emergency shelter to transitional supportive housing," she said.
That being said, Geniole refused to say the change was a mistake. She believes the cabins have been a nice addition, as they provide people with a more stable and permanent place to stay. Unfortunately, there aren't enough cabins to go around.
Geniole also thinks the municipality would have kept both if it had the funding.
"They are restricted by the amount of money coming down from the province or even from the feds," she explained.
That said, Geniole wishes there were more discussions from municipal officials, community groups, and businesses about finding the funding to keep the shelter open.
