Nearly a dozen people have sought warmth at Sarnia's former Laurel Lea-St Matthew’s Presbyterian Church since it opened as an emergency shelter.
Social Services General Manager Valerie Colasanti said six individuals registered to stay at the shelter on Friday and by Monday morning, there were 10.
"Out of the Cold” emergency shelter, located at the former Laurel Lea-St Matthew’s Presbyterian Church in Sarnia. March 2023. (Photo courtesy of the County of Lambton)
The emergency shelter essentially acts as an overflow for the current shelter system within Lambton County. The former church can temporarily house up to 28 individuals.
"We had hoped when we shut the emergency shelter last year -- the one on George Street -- that we wouldn't need additional overflow this year," Colasanti said.
However, it was clear something would be needed based on the rising cost of groceries, utilities, rental accommodations, low housing stock, and the fact that social assistance rates haven't been increased in years.
Colasanti said she anticipates the emergency shelter will be "open for a while."
"Until a couple of things are changed long-term, I think we're going to need to keep this interim shelter open," she said.
While the county is footing most of the bill to operate the emergency shelter, Colasanti said "it's early days" and difficult to give an estimate as to how much it will cost to operate the facility.
There are approximately 250 individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the county.
Colasanti said between various community organizations and the county, about 100 individuals are in emergency housing and 30 are in transitional housing, leaving a large number of people who are provisionally housed (also known as couch surfing) or sleeping rough (outside).
"Some of them aren't comfortable with congregate care, some of them have some mental health issues and don't want to come in, and others just simply do not want to use the shelter system," she said. "So we think there are about 10 known individuals sleeping outside every night but through the month of January and into February, we identified 50 different individuals who were sleeping rough at some point throughout that month."
Colasanti said updates will be provided to county council on a regular basis, approximately every three months.
The emergency shelter is located at the intersection of Exmouth Street and Melrose Avenue, near Indian Road North.