Temporary warming centre opens early due to cold weather

“It’s going to have all of us breathing a little easier through the cold weather and also it’s really good to be able to match the winter warming centre hours to the overdose prevention site,” she says referencing how the OPS will transition to a 24-hour service in the coming weeks. “We’re happy about that too, and like Mayor [Tara] Veer says, we are committed to working on those permanent plans. It’s step by step. It’s been a long road, but I think we’re getting somewhere.”

In addition to the centre opening early, council also approved 20 extra beds to be available to clients overnight.

Council approved 20 overnight beds at the centre for the first time last December, but that was only applicable until the end of April 2018. The overflow was used six times when the 26-bed MATS program was full.

Additionally, the warming centre where those beds are located will act as a shelter space for when the lineups at the overdose prevention site get too long in the night.

“This once again highlights that we have a shelter infrastructure deficit in Red Deer and we need to elevate our voice before the provincial government,” says Veer.

“During the AUMA conference last week, members of council did meet with Minister Irfan Sabir to identify the need for 24/7 shelter capacity in Red Deer. He did seem receptive to that message and committed to working with us in the coming weeks and months to move that forward.”

The current overall agreement for the warming centre lasts until April 30, 2019.

Both the early opening of the centre and the overnight beds are initiatives which support The City’s five-year plan to end homelessness.

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Related to the overarching issue of homelessness, council approved the redistribution of more than $330,000 of OSSI funding on Monday.

OSSI, or Outreach and Support Services Initiative, pumps $3.8 million from the province to the municipality annually. The money is then allocated to various community agencies.

After hearing a recommendation from the Community Housing Advisory Board, council agreed the money should be spent on coordinated and integrated daytime programming.

This programming will provide, “purposeful, year-round space for individuals experiencing homelessness,” according to an administrative report. It goes on to say that when the winter warming centre is closed for the bulk of the spring and summer, there are, “limited options available for individuals.”

The ultimate goal of the programming is to connect individuals who are sleeping rough, in shelters or couch surfing, to permanent housing options.

The City and CHAB will now work on finding the proper operator of such services and a home to operate them out of.

A new OSSI funding cycle — which lasts three years — will begin in the fall of 2019.

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Temporary warming centre opens early due to cold weather

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