Warming shelter on horizon for Steinbach

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/11/2023 (522 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steinbach’s first low-barrier homeless shelter will be coming to the city with a tentative opening date of November, 2024.

The news was shared with city council at their strategic priorities committee meeting on Tuesday by organizers of the new group called The INN, which stands for Initiative for Neighbourly Nights.

Board chair Leona Doerksen told council they had been gifted the land at 447 Main Street, formerly home to Steinbach Vacuum and More, and will be building what they call a warming shelter.

Projected to cost between $650,000 and $750,000, the shelter will be built to accommodate 30 to 40 guests, and will operate during the five or six months of winter.

Doerksen said they’ve already received a positive response to the plan, and are confident the community will support it.

“We’re actually hoping and trusting that we’re going to do this mortgage free, that’s our goal,” she said. “This is a real community project. It’s going to take a whole community to pull this off.”

Defining it as an emergency shelter, Doerksen said it will feature “mats on the floor” and not be equipped with separate bedrooms.

In her presentation to councillors, Doerksen quoted excerpts from the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness about the factors that lead to it those being without homes.

“Systemic or societal barriers are key drivers, for example, lack of affordable housing, access to resources, or discrimination,” she said. “Other individual circumstances can increase a person’s risk of homelessness, including childhood trauma, mental health problems, substance use and previous imprisonment.”

Doerksen told councillors that Steinbach has the same percentage of homeless people as Winnipeg, estimating that in Steinbach right now there are between 25-32 people that are either couch surfing or living on the streets.

“As much as they would like to, family and friends cannot always provide a safe place for people who are street involved, often drug addicted or with untreated mental illness or trauma,” she said.

This will be the first low barrier shelter in Steinbach.

That means they will allow people who have been drinking or using substances prior to entry a spot for the night.

“The only expectation is that they follow the safety rules, be respectful and quiet,” she said. “Sadly we may have to turn some away but we are committed to keeping our staff and guests safe.”

The INN will use safety guidelines common to other shelters and have modelled much of their plan after a Winnipeg shelter called JAWS (Just A Warm Sleep) that has been run out of a church basement for the last five years.

Doerksen said it was important to have a different location than the existing Steinbach Community Outreach centre, to ensue people don’t make it their home.

She said the property on Main Street was what they want, as it’s easy to access, fits its surroundings and is removed from residential.

“With the fire station and crisis services as well as a church as close neighbours we feel it is a good fit for this area,” she said.

Giving people a safe, warm place to spend nights in the winter months has benefits.

“It eliminates the need for those with drug addictions to be high just in order to have the energy to keep moving on our sub-zero nights,” she said. “It will also help to prevent people from breaking into campers, sheds or offices to try to get out of the cold.”

She said currently SCO has people who sleep on their couches during the day.

“Having a place to rest at night increased the opportunities for individuals to be available to access services that are offered to them during the day, instead of using those services as a place to rest,” she said.

The shelter will be staffed with people trained in security, addictions and community outreach, something that is estimated to cost about $12,000 monthly.

While the shelter is slated to open in 2024, Doerksen said the new board would consider running something this winter if a space was found.

“In the meantime, for this winter, we are certainly open to someone offering a space,” she said.

Doerksen said she believes the community, which has a culture of giving, will come together on this project.

“In a time when so many issues have the potential to divide us, I believe that this project can bring us together, not only to build a shelter, but despite our religious, political or cultural differences, to build a community that cares for its most vulnerable neighbours because above all else that is what love requires,” she said.

“I hope that in the future whenever you, a family member, or friend knows someone in need of shelter, they will be able to say ‘hey, there’s always room at the INN. I can bring you there. They’ll take good care of you.’”

The organization is waiting for their charitable status to be completed and is hoping to attract donations (both cash and in kind), new board members and people gifted with skills such as website design.

For more information email steinbachwarmingshelter.TheINN@gmail.com.